Bharat Lairenjam and Levis Zangminlun shared a tight embrace to celebrate scoring a goal each to help India lift the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Under-16 Championship trophy in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Sunday. Nothing surprising after a resounding win, right? But this hug-it-out moment was special because Bharat is a Meitei and Levis is a Kuki.
Off the field, ethnic violence has cleaved the two communities apart in the past five months.
On it, they stand united in blue. Of the total 23 players of the Indian squad, 16 are from strife-torn Manipur, and among them 11 are Meiteis, four are Kukis and one is a Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim). The young footballers played, chatted and ate together and focused only on winning the championship.
Which they did, thanks to Bharat Lairenjam, who hails from Bishnupur district’s Nambol, scoring the first goal in the eight minute.
Levis Zangminlun, who is a resident of strife-torn Churachandpur district, netted the second goal in the 74th minute in the final against Bangladesh.
We didn’t even speak a word on Manipur conflict, says top scorer
My teammate, midfielder Levis, told me before the match that I should score to win the match, and his (Levis) second goal was a crucial one for India to grab the title. I rushed towards him and gave him a tight hug to celebrate the goal, said an elated Bharat. On the crisis in Manipur, Bharat said he would like to see the state returning to normal.
Teammate Levis admitted he felt nervous when he stepped out onto the field for the final match. “However, my confidence soared after I scored the second and last crucial goal,” said Levis, who plays for Srinidhi Deccan FC, Hyderabad.
Levis joined the Hyderabad academy just last year, a decision that not only made him proud but also his hometown, state and the country. Asked about his teammates belonging to different communities of the state, Levis said, “Football serves as a common passion, uniting and allowing us to set aside differences.” Abbas Shingjamayum, the Meitei Pangal player from Manipur who bagged the ‘Most Valuable Player’ and ‘Top Scorer’ (with three goals) in the championship, echoed the sentiment. “We didn’t even speak a word on the conflict in Ma nipur and instead focused on football and team spirit.” All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) general secretary Lairikyengbam Jyotirmoy Roy said in sport, there were no boundaries ofethnicity as manifested by this Indian squad.
Off the field, ethnic violence has cleaved the two communities apart in the past five months.
On it, they stand united in blue. Of the total 23 players of the Indian squad, 16 are from strife-torn Manipur, and among them 11 are Meiteis, four are Kukis and one is a Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim). The young footballers played, chatted and ate together and focused only on winning the championship.
Which they did, thanks to Bharat Lairenjam, who hails from Bishnupur district’s Nambol, scoring the first goal in the eight minute.
Levis Zangminlun, who is a resident of strife-torn Churachandpur district, netted the second goal in the 74th minute in the final against Bangladesh.
We didn’t even speak a word on Manipur conflict, says top scorer
My teammate, midfielder Levis, told me before the match that I should score to win the match, and his (Levis) second goal was a crucial one for India to grab the title. I rushed towards him and gave him a tight hug to celebrate the goal, said an elated Bharat. On the crisis in Manipur, Bharat said he would like to see the state returning to normal.
Teammate Levis admitted he felt nervous when he stepped out onto the field for the final match. “However, my confidence soared after I scored the second and last crucial goal,” said Levis, who plays for Srinidhi Deccan FC, Hyderabad.
Levis joined the Hyderabad academy just last year, a decision that not only made him proud but also his hometown, state and the country. Asked about his teammates belonging to different communities of the state, Levis said, “Football serves as a common passion, uniting and allowing us to set aside differences.” Abbas Shingjamayum, the Meitei Pangal player from Manipur who bagged the ‘Most Valuable Player’ and ‘Top Scorer’ (with three goals) in the championship, echoed the sentiment. “We didn’t even speak a word on the conflict in Ma nipur and instead focused on football and team spirit.” All Manipur Football Association (AMFA) general secretary Lairikyengbam Jyotirmoy Roy said in sport, there were no boundaries ofethnicity as manifested by this Indian squad.
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