What has cricket done for India except that it has made the cricketers stars and billionaires. When India is regaling itself with the hype created over cricket, Indian athletes are falling down like ninepins at the Olympic events except of course for the brave Manipuri boxers. There is a joke about some of the local pujari teams or catering services that they are like the Indian cricket team. Some of the pujari teams simply do not have consistency. One day, the dishes are so delicious that one bites the thumb, while on another day the dishes would be below average. So many Indians are crazy about cricket as if it is India’s national game and the national or mainstream media gets sucked into the whirlpool of the cricket hype. Many Indians chose to forget the history of cricket, while the reality is that the game called cricket is played only in former colonies of the British. What is there to be proud of in a game reeking of colonialism? India needs to get out of that colonial mindset and focus on other sports where Indian athletes could surely shine in the international arena. It is indeed very sad that the mainstream media is not paying full attention to other sports or for that matter the world class athletes hailing from the peripheral areas like Manipur. We would like to seriously question the attitude of mainland India and mainstream media as to whether they feel proud when Manipuri sportspersons excel in the international arena or the Olympics. We Manipuris are extremely proud of our talented sportspersons and we are proud that this tiny state called Manipur is the sports powerhouse of India. It is the martial tradition, the courage and bravery of our ancestors, and the daring attitude which is the driving force of our sportspersons like Ngangom Dingko, Mary Kom, Devendro, Suranjoy, Kunjarani and a host of other excellent sportspersons. They are the underdogs fighting back to claim the glory which is ever denied but theirs to claim with the fighting spirit. The mainstream media downplays the glorious achievement of the Manipuri boxers while they report with fervor at the frail achievements of the sportpersons hailing from the mainland states. They simply cannot accept the logic of five sportspersons from this tiny state representing India at the London Olympics. We would like to recall a past incident when an international class hockey player named Kshetrimayum Ibopishak from Manipur was sidelined by the then hockey bosses of India. Boxer Ngangom Dingko of Indian Navy hailing from Manipur went on his own and fought his way to claim an Asian gold medal for India. Not all sportspersons from Manipur bring back laurels or medals. Archer Bombayla fell out of reckoning in the initial rounds. We are ready to concede that. But the attitude of the mainstream media in India and of mainland India is disappointing not only in the case peripheral sportspersons but also regarding the lack of focus on other sports disciplines where Indians could excel. India was able to produce outstanding athletes like Milkha Singh and PT Usha in the past, and it still could produce such athletes if only India gives focus to athletics. Manipur has given its share of international boxers and also footballers. Manipuris are dominating the football scene in the country and they are representing not only the state of Manipur but other states of India as well. Take the case of Taekwondo, Wushu, Sepak Takraw, Weightlifting, Fencing and various other sports disciplines. Manipuri sportspersons have been dominating the national arena and representing the country in the international arena. Tragedy is that, India and the mainstream media is still refusing to acknowledge the Manipuri achievement.
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