Whenever, a sportsperson from the North East wins a medal at an international competition, the nation erupts with joy and the distances are blurred
T P VENU
Sport has a magical effect on people. The recent triumph of SriLanka in the Asia Cup lifted the spirits of the islanders who have been suffering due to the economic crisis. The win helped the battered nation to forget its worries, albeit for a short period but has given them hope. Several studies reveal that sporting victories help people forget about troubles and unites the populace. In India’s case, it is not economic but the alienation of the North Eastern region with the mainland due to its geographical location has led to a disconnect. Sports stars from the North East have brought a lot of cheer and are helping bridge the gap.
Separated by a narrow 22-km stretch in the Siliguri corridor known as the chicken neck, the north eastern part of India is far from the popular imagination. Whenever a sportsperson from the Northeast be it Mary Kom, Baichung Bhutia or the latest weightlifting sensation Jeremy Lalrinnunga won a medal at an international competition, the nation erupted with joy and the distances were blurred.
The region has been supplying sports stars in sporadic regularity be it Somdev Devvarman who burst on the scene in the 1990s, Hima Das the sprinter and Lovlina Borgohain the boxer in recent times. Every other year there is someone who is making it in the sporting firmament from the north-eastern states.
Most of the eight states are nestled in hills and has produced a number of sports persons. Former Indian footballer, Victor Amal Raj who played in West Bengal and the North East for over a decade says, “You take any football team in India and you are bound to find at least a couple of Manipuri players. They are gifted naturally and the environs that they grow up in make them tough.”
The Northeast has been supplying a battery of players who are bringing laurels to India in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and other championships. In the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in 2022, Jeremy, Saikom Mirabai, Bidyarani Devi Sorokhaibam and Nayanmani Saikia brought laurels to the country and in the process inspired hundreds of boys and girls across the country.
What makes the region unique is the fact that it comprises just 3.8 per cent of India’s population but the contribution to sports is immense. The sturdy sportsmen and women from the eight states have been punching beyond their weight.
The region is also a role model especially in the field of football with its well-structured associations that keep churning out players by the dozen. Even in hockey there are quite a few players. Nagaland gave India its first captain for the Indian national football team in the form of Talimeren Ao. Ao captained India against France in 1948 London Olympics, which also happened to be Indian football team’s first international match after Independence. In 2020, Mizoram became the first state of India to have accorded ‘Industry standard’ to sports. That in a nutshell explains the importance accorded to sports by the eight states beyond the chicken neck.
