IMPHAL, January 6: In a year which had seen bomb explosions throughout and agitations on a daily basis, sportspersons of the state put a smile across the faces of the people with their feats during the year.
Success in the international arena has been a regular story for Manipuri sportspersons, however what differentiated the success stories in 2012 from the past was the Olympic Bronze medal winning feat of Mary Kom and the presence of four others at the Olympic Games village in London and competing against the world’s best in the most competitive sporting extravaganza in the world.
Mary Kom made history as the first sportsperson of Manipur to win an Olympic medal. Five sportspersons from the state had represented India at the London Olympics. While the four others failed to win any medals at the Games, their spirited fights still brought smiles and a sense of unity cutting across communities, ethnicities and groups in the state.
When Mary Kom stood at the medal podium, the whole state smiled with her and though Devendro another boxer of the state at the Olympics failed to bring home any medal, he captured the imagination of the whole nation during the games.
Olympian Archer Bombayla and Weightlifter Sonia Chanu along with 8th Asian Games Bronze medallist Wushu player Bimoljit were amongst the 25 sportspersons of the country, who received the Arjuna Award from the country’s President.
The state has now 14 recipients of Arjuna Award – the highest national recognition for outstanding performance in sports.
What was unique of Mary Kom’s feat at the London Olympics last summer is that she is not only the first women medal winner at the Olympics from India but that the medal also came from the women’s boxing which was introduced at the Olympics only last year. Her medal came in the 51 kg women’s boxing after her close defeat at the hands of Nicola Adams of the UK.
The beginning of the last month of 2012 also witnessed sportspersons from the state shining at the world stage.
Bodybuilder Arambam Bobby was adjudged the Mr World at Bangkok in December 2012, while another body builder Kh Pradipkumar who has been battling HIV/AIDS won the bronze in another category of the Mr World title at the same event.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Men’s Hockey team also qualified for the 35th National Games this year.
The U-17 girls’ state football team also lifted the first edition of the All India Subroto Cup Football trophy after defeating their Mizoram counterparts by 1-0. National Sports Academy, NSA Khuman Lampak student Monsjam Kabita took Bronze at the Asian Youth Judo Championship at Chinese Taipei in 2012.
Amidst all such achievements, the sports fraternity did have some hiccups during the year. The Tourism Forum’s Japan FC Kicker’s exhibition match fizzled out leaving the spectators furious. Allegations of match fixing also came up during the 7th Manipur State League last year following which the All Manipur Football Association instituted a one man Enquiry commission on the issue which however failed to prove anything.