We Manipuris have always a moment to cheer amidst the unrelenting surge of the pandemic, the disgusting ethics of politicians who do not bat an eyelid to frog-jump to another party, scrupulous individuals who claim to own whole mountains, chieftains who make it a habit to block developmental activities in the name of land compensation, the woes of the farmers bereft of rains and fertilizers, and the indifferent attitude of the state towards the rising fuel prices.
On Wednesday, we welcomed our Olympic heroes at Imphal. Bronze medal winner in men’s hockey Sanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma and Olympian in women’s hockey Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam was given a hero’s welcome at Imphal Airport along with our own Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam who made it possible for Indian hockey to come back to the spotlight. It was after 41 years that Indian men’s hockey had been able to bag a medal at the Olympics and for Indian women’s hockey team to reach the semi-finals in Olympic hockey, only to miss the bronze medal inspite of a superb performance.
The day she returned to Manipur after her Olympic glory, Manipuri weightlifter and silver medallist Saikhom Chanu Mirabai posted a photo of her eating home-cooked food at her home sitting cross-legged on the floor with her kin after two years in the social media and it went viral. After the shame in Rio Olympics, Saikhom Mirabai was determined to succeed in Tokyo and that is exactly why she trained non-stop in India and abroad for two years in pursuit of her dream. She did not even bothered to take a break and return home to have even a few moments of quality time with her parents and kin. Such was her determination. Hard work and determination pays, this is what she had shown to the sporting world.
Right from the time her local coach Anita Chanu had seen her grit and determination, Mirabai had not looked back and she hitched rides in trucks laden with sand from her distant village to reach Khuman Lampak stadium where she trained every day. After bagging India’s first ever silver medal on the first day itself at Tokyo, she was overwhelmed with joy. But, she has not forgotten the people who helped her to her Olympic glory, even the truck drivers who drove her every day and after coming back to Manipur she invited those drivers to her home to thank them personally with a sumptuous meal and gifts. This is an example of pure greatness and humility at its utmost.
She had won the first silver medal in weightlifting for India, a feat after Karnam Malleshwari won the bronze medal in weightlifting in 2000 Sydney Olympics. Indians celebrated it as if it is their own. While Dingko’s gold campaign at the 1998 Asiad inspired the budding boxers of India, Manipur’s sports journey took a turn for the better and the state became a powerhouse of Indian sports no longer to be shunned or ignored.
Sushila Chanu is another icon, who is devoted to the uplift of hockey in her native state. After narrowly missing the bronze medal in a heart-breaking semi-final match she was asked by the Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh as to what she wants. She did not ask for a job or anything for herself. Instead, she asked the Chief Minister to call in former hockey Olympians like Kothajit and Chinglensana working outside the state so that they could together groom future hockey Olympians from among the budding youth. Such is the greatness of our humble Olympians.
The Chief Minister is talking about an Olympians Park near Sangaithel to honour our 19 Olympians and encourage future Olympians. But what could be more apt than doing what Sushila Chanu is asking for, not only in hockey but in other disciplines which has shown the grit of the Manipuris.
