Meitei, Kuki boys from Manipur break hostility wall to lift SAFF U-16 football trophy

Two boys from Manipur—a Meitei and a Kuki—made India proud when they clinched the South Asian Football Federation SAFF under-16 champion trophy with two outstanding goals despite the ethnic conflict still raging in the state.

Of the all out 23 players of the Indian crew, 16 are from hardship torn Manipur, and among them 11 are Meities, Kuki (4) and a Meitei Pangal (Manipuri Muslim). They fervently prayed for the state to regain peace.

Hailing from Bishnupur region's Nambol, Bharat Lairenjam got the principal objective in the eighth moment, while Levis Zangminlun, an occupant of Churachandpur terminated the second objective in the 74th moment in the last match played between Bangladesh at Thimphu, Bhutan on Sunday.

These young players played, talked, and ate together while concentrating solely on winning the championship trophy, leaving aside the pain, sorrow, wailing voices, and cries of the victims that reverberated throughout the valleys and hills of their home state of Manipur.

A cheerful Bharat said that he was so glad to score the goal since it was his "goal of the championship"

"However players have a place with various networks in the group, we blend together cheerfully in great cooperation," he said on Monday night.

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"My colleague, midfielder Levis let me know before the match that I ought to score to dominate the game, and his (Levis) second objective was a significant one for India to get the title. I hurried towards him and gave him a warm embrace to commend the objective," he added. 

Bharat stated that, in light of the crisis that is currently engulfing Manipur, he would like to see the state return to its former state of normalcy. 

The Indian striker dreams to keep playing for the country at the senior level too by additional cleaning his abilities.

Levis, a teammate, admitted that he was nervous when he took the field for the final match. Levis, who represented Srinidhi Deccan FC, Hyderabad, stated, "However, as I scored the second and last crucial goal, my confidence came to reality."

Levis asserted that "football served as their common passion, uniting and allowing them to set aside their differences," referring to the ongoing conflict in Manipur and his teammates' affiliations with various communities in the state.

Levis made the decision to join the Hyderabad academy just last year, which not only gave him pride, but also gave pride to his hometown, state, and country.

The remarkable journey that Levis undertook and the sincere plea that he made for peace demonstrate how sports can unite people across boundaries even in the most difficult situations.

Manipur's Meitei Pangal player Abbas Shingjamayum, who won the championship and was named "Most valuable player" and Top Scorer (with three goals), joked, "We didn't talk even an iota about conflict in Manipur, and instead focused on football and team spirit." 

Lairikyengbam Jyotirmoy Roy, general secretary of the All Manipur Football Association (AMFA), praised the impressive performance by the Indian team at the SAFFU U-16 championship, stating that ethnicity does not matter in games.