NE Brief

Sportsmanship Transcends over Ethnic division

Current Updates | NE Brief | NECARF Rep | 17-Sep-2023

On September 10, 2023, the Indian under -16 football team lifted the glittering Trophy in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan.  The team, affectionately referred to as the "Blue Colts", trounced neighbour Bangladesh by two goals to emerge Champions. Apart from the sporting excellence that brought laurels to this country, there is a more significant story behind the victory. The two boys who made India proud were from Manipur, a state presently going through traumatizing times because of the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis. Bharat Leirenjam and Levis Zangminlun, a Meitei boy from Bishenspur district and a Kuki boy from Churachandpur district, respectively, scored a goal each in the first and second half and clinched the issue.

Significantly, both of these districts are among the worst-affected areas, where intermittent firing takes place even to this day. The precariousness of the situation had in fact forced the security forces to create a buffer zone between the two districts to prevent large-scale violence and monitor them as if they were two different warring countries. But all through the tournament, these champions left behind all the unpleasant relationships between their communities, played as a team, and were true sportsmen.

Talking to the media after the match, Bharat said it was his teammate Levis who encouraged him to put in his best if India was to lift the trophy. "Levis told me that I have to score, come what may, if the team is to win," he said. He was also full of praise for Levis, stating that "his goal in the second half was so crucial, and that put the opposition on the defensive. It is amazing how sportsmanship transcends ethnicity, differences, and division.

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