NE slowly inching up with Manipur in sports: governor

Imphal: The North East is slowly inching up in the fields of sports and Manipur is leading in the region, said Manipur governor La. Ganesan at the welcoming ceremony of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Trophy 2023, held at Khuman Lampak Hockey Stadium, here on Wednesday.

The trophy travelled from Kolkata.

Manipur is popularly known as the ‘Power House’ of sports in the country. “We should build up our strengths so that we can become world beaters. Though the state is small in size, it has already produced 7 Olympians in Hockey,” Ganesan said.

Apart from Hockey, Manipur has produced many Olympians in almost all the sports disciplines. With the fresh initiative taken up the Government of India in the recent past in the field of games and sports, the future will be bright for ‘our sportspersons’. Youth Affairs and Sports department should make all possible efforts to provide better infrastructure and training to help the players, he added.

“We are feeling proud as India is hosting the 15th Hockey Men’s World Cup, 2023 and it is to be played at Odisha in January next year.” India was so popular in the world in hockey and still the country is very popular in this sports discipline. The relentless efforts made by the Hockey India to ameliorate the standard are quite commendable and praiseworthy, the governor said.

Manipur Hockey is also making all possible efforts to promote hockey by improving infrastructure, introduction of special training courses etc, he said and thanked Manipur Hockey for successfully hosting the welcoming ceremony of World Cup Trophy in Manipur.

​The governor opened the trophy to the public in the ceremony.

Youth Affairs and Sports minister Govindas Konthoujam, Commerce and Industry minister Nemcha Kipgen, Social Welfare Minister H. Dingo, MLA Dr Th. Radheshyam Singh who is president of Manipur Olympic Association, Khoirom Loyalakpa, president Manipur Hockey, Gyanendro Ningombam, member, Hockey India, Dr. Basudev Singh, former president, Manipur Hockey, Kshetrimayum Thoiba Singh (Olympian), Life time President, Manipur Hockey, Major General Sumit Kabthiyal, G.O.C. 57 Mountain Division and players attended the welcoming ceremony.