Imphal, March 03 2009: Highlighting achievements of State sportspersons in national and international level competitions since the last many years and stressing on the need for nurturing talented manipuri players, a memorandum submitted to the Secretary of Sports Authority of india SS Cha-bra urged for appointment of a full-fledged Director of NERC, SAI (Imphal).

The memorandum jointly submitted by Ethno Heritage Council, United peo- ple's Front and JAC Against Transfer of Director SAI, NERC was reportedly handed over SS Chabra at Hotel Nirmala yesterday and evoked positive response from the latter regarding the bodies' proposal.

Recounting exploits of State sportspersons and contribution of the citizens in setting up SAI Regional Centre at Takyel, the joint representation noted with resentment that post of Regional Director (SAI NERC, Imphal) had been shifted to SAI New Delhi, thereby diluting importance of the Imphal Centre inspite of the fact that many a medal winners were and are being produced from manipur.

Further highlighting that SAI NERC, Imphal under L Tiken Singh as the Director not only resulted in inclusion of many sports disciplines suited to the locals but also witnessed significant increase in the number of students at the Imphal Centre, the bodies described as 'injustice to the people of manipur' the transfer of S Tiken to NIS, Patiala.

The transfer of Tiken, posting of a Lecturer as head of the Imphal Centre and administrative control handled by the SAI Kolkata Centre is not justifiable when achievement of State sportspersons is compared to talents tapped and produced by other Regional (SAI) Centres so far, the memorandum mentioned.

On one hand they (Govt of India) declared that Manipur is powerhouse of Sports so a national Sports Academy is established, on the otherhand an established SAI Centre which has produced enormous num-ber of international meda- llists, Olympians and Arju-na Awardees is being mar- ginalised to the status of a SAI unit of Kolkata Centre, it pointed out and observed that after a few years the National Sports Academy may also be abolished in one way or the other.

While reiterating that either S Tiken be brought back to the state or a full-fledged Director be posted, the secretary SAI was also intimated in detail the sentimental attachment of manipuri people with sports and its players.

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