Fields Of Gold
The North-East — and Manipur in particular — has emerged as major sports hubs in the country. Verve takes a peek into the lives of three young sportswomen — boxer Samjetsabam Sarjubala Devi, archer Bombayla Devi Laishram and footballer Yumnam Kamala Devi — from the state…
Manipur has earned the reputation of being the cradle of Indian sports, giving the country a reason to celebrate time and again. Even before the Manipur Olympic Association was set up in 1977, sport was a way of life and a common passion that united the people of the state. And following in the footsteps of Pangambam Nilakomal Singh, the India hockey goalkeeper at the 1984 Olympics, Manipuris have carved out a niche in a number of disciplines.
While driving from the Imphal International Airport to the centre of town, it’s hard to miss the action unfolding on the fields along the way. There’s a good chance it’s a game of football, unarguably the most popular sport in the state these days. The perimeter is packed with fans of all shapes and sizes, engrossed in their favourite recreational pastime. Sport is so deeply ingrained in Manipuri culture that even the chief minister, Nongthombam Biren Singh, is a former footballer who played for the victorious Border Security Force team during the 1981 Durand Cup.
But it is the women who form the backbone of society in a state where life has regularly been stirred by violence and strife. In their 2010 book, The History and Culture of Manipur, Saroj N. Arambam Parratt and John Parratt write: ‘The high social and economic status of women in Meitei society [the majority ethnic group in Manipur] was frequently remarked upon by British colonial officers. Despite the dominance of Hinduism in the plains of Manipur, Meitei women suffered none of the humiliating oppression of their sisters elsewhere on the sub-continent. Above all the women controlled the food supplies and the markets, and were therefore a dominant economic force’.
The exploits of Manipuri women range from the First Nupi Lal or Women’s War in 1904 against the British to the protest in February this year, when they stayed out all night in the cold to take a stand against the Citizenship Bill. Women have claimed their equal place among the men not only in various spheres of daily life but on the sports field as well.
It makes sense then that Manipur’s most famous export is a woman — MC Mary Kom. She won an Olympic medal in 2012, has won the World Championship gold medal for the sixth time by 36 years of age and is a mother of three. And there are other inspirational ladies such as weightlifter Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi and Oinam Bembem Devi, former captain of the national football team, who serve as role models for young women who dream of treading the same paths as their illustrious predecessors. What unites them are their humble backstories, relentless work ethic and the desire to find their place among the best.
Fields Of Gold: Samjetsabam Sarjubala Devi
Fields Of Gold: Bombayla Devi Laishram
Fields Of Gold: Yumnam Kamala Devi