8 Manipur kids in 21-member India squad not only carry tales of hardships, but also responsibility of taking state’s legacy forward
North-east India has had a history of producing quality football players over the years, but it's perhaps for the first time that the region boasts of a bulk of players representing India in a global event.
The eight players from Manipur and one from Sikkim (see box) that will walk out on the field for India when the U-17 FIFA World Cup kick-starts on Friday will not only carry with them tales of battling odds, but also a responsibility of taking forward their region's rich footballing legacy.
"Football is in the blood of Manipur," Renedy Singh, former footballer from Imphal who played for India from 1998 to 2011, says. "Every kid plays football there, because there's no cricket. Football is No. 1. And on top of that, there have been so many players who have done well for India from the region.
"Now, if these U-17 kids play well, can you imagine the kind of impact it will have on the other kids in Manipur? There will be so many kids from the age 9-14 that will get inspired, and then there will be more young players that will come into the system from the North-east by just seeing these kids play," he adds.
Local clubs, coaches lay foundation
Like the current U-17 players saw their role models, the likes of Renedy himself who is now giving it back to the sport in the North-east by taking up coaching. This ensures that unlike many other states in India, the cycle of churning out players doesn't stop in Manipur and its neighbouring states.
"Things are getting better, as a lot of retired players are now taking up coaching. We, the young generation, are ready to learn and give back. By doing all these coaching courses, we can spread it all across the Manipur and other regions when we go back," Renedy says.
Chaoba Devi is doing just that. The former India women's football captain, who is the assistant coach of the national women's side, is also working as a development officer of grassroots football in Manipur.
She says where the North-east states make up for their lack of infrastructure is through a solid local club culture.
"Manipur is as small a state as one district in Mumbai. We don't have infrastructure, we don't even have many qualified coaches, yet we produce footballers consistently. The main reason for it is local clubs. More and more local clubs are taking initiative and interest in football, which is showing," Devi says.
The best example of that is U-17 team captain Amarjit Singh Kiyam and midfielder Jeakson Singh. The two players were neighbours in Thoubal, a tiny district in Manipur, and Jeakson's father was a local coach there.
He pushed both the children into football at a very young age, and once the foundation was laid, got them both enrolled into the Minerva FC academy in Chandigarh.
The duo's big leap into the national side came after the Minerva academy boys defeated the India U-17 probables team 1-0 in Goa in March this year. Playing for Minerva, both of them showed enough promise and quality to be drafted into the India U-17 team, something that was a distant dream for their families not too long ago.
Battling against odds to reach atop
Renedy, who visited the impoverished and unfurnished houses of each of the eight players from Manipur over the last week, shares a story.
"When I went to Jeakson's place, his mother was telling me how when Jeakson would get a winter vacation from the academy, she didn't know whether to he happy or sad that her son was coming back. Happy because her son was returning home, sad because she didn't know how to arrange for the ticket money from Chandigarh," Renedy says.
"Then I went to Amarjit's place. His mother told me: 'my son is the captain of the team, and I really want to watch my son play. It's the most important match of my son's life, and I want to go (to New Delhi). But I can't because I don't have money to buy tickets'. It hit me so hard," he adds.
Renedy's persistent efforts over the next couple of days ensured that the state government, some corporates and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) jumped into the picture and took care of the travel and venue tickets of all the eight families from Manipur.
However, it only goes to show the kind of roadblocks these kids have dodged and overcome to be where they are.
"There are more kids out here," Devi says. "So many talented kids in these hilly areas, but either there is no one to spot their talent, or their talent never comes out due to their family's struggles. If you see properly, there will be more diamonds in Manipur."
For now, though, Manipur as well as the entire North-east region is basking on the glory of their U-17 diamonds.
"I recently visited one of the local clubs here. I was having a chat with the children, and an eight-year-old kid came up to me and said, 'I want to become like Amarjit'," Devi says.
THE 9 NORTH-EAST BOYS
Manipur: Amarjit Singh Kiyam (Captain/Midfielder), Dheeraj Singh (Goalkeeper), Jeakson Singh (Midfielder), Boris Singh (Defender), Mohammad Shahjahan (Midfielder), Nongdamba Naorem (Midfielder), Suresh Singh (Midfielder) and Ninthoinganba Meitei (Midfielder)
Sikkim: Komal Thatal
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