Transforming India’s Sporting Culture

The Northeast of India often hits the headlines because of insurgency and also when racist and discriminatory acts are meted out against people from the region, but the headlines change whenever there is a big international sporting event like Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Thanks to the good number of quality and medal-winning sportspersons the region has been consistently producing over the years. The list of athletes the region has produced so far is long, although it is small in area, less in population and lags behind most states in terms of infrastructural development. In the ongoing Tokyo Olympics too, eight from the region are competing for the medal. Tarundeep Rai (Archery) is from Sikkim, Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing) from Assam, Lalremsiami (Hockey) from Mizoram, and the remaining five — MC Mary Kom (Boxing), Sushila Likmabam (Judo), Shanglakpam Nilakanta (Hockey), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (Weightlifting) and Sushila Chanu (Hockey) — are from Manipur. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has brought laurels to the region and the country by winning India’s first medal (silver) in Tokyo Olympics and 1.3 billion people are continuing to root for the rest to bring home more medals. Because of this noticeable trend, many are beginning to dub the region as a powerhouse of sports and express the need to tap this talent by investing more.

However, it is Manipur that is dominating the region in terms of sports. The state has produced 19 Olympians so far, since hockey player Pangambam Nilkamal participated in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Notably, majority of them were women, including six-time world champion and Olympics bronze medallist Mary Kom, weightlifter Nameirakpam Kunjarani, archer Laishram Bombayla and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu. Some may wonder how this tiny state could produce so many world-class sportspersons. If there is one secret to this success, it could be their deep love for sports irrespective of the discipline. Sport is their culture. The fact that the Olympians from the state participated in various disciplines like hockey, judo, boxing, weightlifting and archery, as well as their performance at the national games speaks volumes. In football too, the state is in the forefront with 43 players who played in the Indian Super League 2020-21 season, while the women’s team have been dominating the game at the national level for years. The people of Manipur still play Sagol Kangjei, or the modern-day polo, which is said to have originated from the state in 3100 BC. Another sport that has drawn little interest in other parts of the country but is still popular in the state is sepak takraw. The beauty is that people continue to play these “not so popular” games with much enthusiasm and it’s spreading even to hill districts. While sports infrastructure is decent in Imphal, it’s not the case in the rest of the state. That hasn’t deterred people from pursuing the sport they love or are good at. Infrastructure surely matters to beat the best at the highest level but love for sport and identification of one’s talent are equally important, if not more; besides consistent hard work, discipline, determination and dedication. What sets Manipur apart from other states is its “sporting culture”. India should adopt this to change its sporting landscape.