NE sportspersons at Bangkok
Poor facilities won't help any longer

The success of Dingko Singh and the failure of large Indian contingent apart from Jyotirmoyee Sikdar and few others in the Bangkok Asiad have once again provoked us to urge the Government of India to introduce a separate sports policy for the North-Eastern region of the country, if we really want to make our presence felt in the international arena.The reminder is also necessary as the Sports Minister Uma Bharati has made public her intentions to bring a radical change in the sports policy of the country. She has vowed to reform the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and wants to close down the non-performing centres of the SAI.

We hope that the firebrand BJP leader will keep her promise and come up with the new sports policy as soon as possible. Here, we are willing to bring certain facts to the notice of the Union Minister.

After the failure of the Indian sportspersons at every international event, it has now become customary for the politicians and the persons concerned to raise hue and cry. But, beyond doubt, sports in India get a step motherly treatment and the sportspersons have virtually no future in this country.

Due to this apathy towards sports, along with the country, the North-Eastern region is also paying a heavy price. The North-Easterners are considered to be most genetically gifted in the country for sports, such as football, archery, boxing, judo, martial arts, weight-lifting and long distance running. But till today, after 50 years of Independence, the budding sportspersons of the region are yet to get proper facilities and timely attention. As a result, most of these young talents decide to call it a day at an age when the country may look forward to them for bringing laurels from the international sportinmg arena. And those who are determined to make a name in the sporting field like Kunjarani Devi, have to leave the region to achieve their dreams.

How poor the facilities are in the North-Eastern region can be judged by the fact that the Manipur sub-junior hockey team, which reached to the semifinal stage of the Independence Gold Cup hockey tournament in August this year, got the first feel of astro-turf when they played their first match of the tournament. This shows that that the sportspersons from the region are not lacking in talents, what really obstructing their perfomances is the facilities.

Sekta village makes news with Dingko’s golden punch

For the people of the Sekta village, about 20 kms away from Imphal, it was a night to rejoice. The entire village went sleepless on the night of December 17, singing, dancing and drinking till the wee hours in the morning. Yu, the local brew was available in abundance. And the reason for their celebration: local boy Dingko Singh's gold medal win in boxing in the just concluded Bangkok Asian Games 54 kg. category.

An Asiad gold medal from the boxing ring is one of the rare things for the Indians. Before Dingko, only three Indians had achieved this feat since the inception of the Asian Games in 1951. The last came 16 years ago in 1982 in Delhi, when Kaur Singh lifted a gold in the heavyweight boxing.

It is amazing that this talented diminutive pugilist had been omitted from the original squad, despite being the champion in his category for the last two years, without citing any reason. Dingko’s name was cleared at the eleventh hour by the Union Sports Ministry and he made to Bangkok barely few hours before his first bout.

A product of the special area games originated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Dingko is a perfect role model for the youngsters who want to carve out a niche for themselves in the sporting arena. Dingko’s rise from rags to riches was not a bed of roses. Poverty, hunger, neglect and injustice, Dingko had to take all into his stride. It goes to the credit of this young boxer from Manipur that he knocked out all these with guts and grit.Dingko lost his father at an early age. His problems were further compounded when his mother also deserted her eight children — four sons and four daughters —— to live elsewhere. But Dingko’s tragedy did not end there. After some time, his elder brothers died falling victims of malnutrition and disease.

As Dingko had been bereft of all the supports a child needs at the tender age, there was no other way out for him but land up in an orphanage home in Imphal. There Dingko got a roof on his head but did not have much to eat. "Mostly rice, dal and a little curry, but boxing, judo and kung fu kept us alive", remembered K. H. Surajit, who was Dingko’s fellow inmate at the orphanage for five years.But Dingko was not purturbed. He gave vent to all his anger and disgust through his boxing. His enormous talent in boxing was difficult to overlook. Soon he caught the eyes of Imbocha. Imbocha, nursed and groomed Dingko for seven years under the special area games programme of the SAI. And timely and careful grooming bore the fruitful result for the world to see.

"It’s a great moment," was all that Imbocha could say soon after Dingko won the gold in Bangkok, beating the world number two. When Dingko’s win was confirmed, hundreds of young boys came rushing to Imbocha’s home in Imphal and raised him on their shoulders and took him around the main streets of the town. Athletes at the SAG complex arranged a camp fire in honour of Dingko that the proud coach had to lit.

Basking in the glory of Dingko’s success is Rantion Chanu, the youngest sister of the golden boy. Overnight she became the queen of the Sekta village. The men and women, young and old of the entire village gathered around her to sing and dance to celebrate the win. "We were so angry when they dropped him (Dingko) from the squad that we thought we should kill his coach if he is not included. But all that is forgotten and forgiven now", said Chanu in a choking voice. The villagers also echoed the same sentiments. To them Dingko is great and one day he may prove another Mike Tyson.

Till now, the mystery of Dingko’s omission has not been unfolded. While the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had denied that it had played any role in the selection of the sportspersons for the Bangkok Asiad and it was left to the respective federations to choose the team, the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation washed its hands by saying that the decision of omitting Dingko was of the Sports Ministry. But the Sports Ministry had denied the allegation.

But the fact remains that Dingko was excluded from the original squad. It was after the Dingko’s Cuban coach wrote a strong letter to the ministry threatening to resign if the boxer from Manipur was not selected, Dingko was made Bangkok-bound.The win has suddenly made this 20-year-lad a complete man and a mature person, who intends to forget all the happenings. After winning the gold, he made it clear to the journalists who were covering the Asiad: "Let’s us forget it all and let me enjoy this moment" , Dingko said.About his future plans Dingko said, "I have accomplished one half of my dream and the other half of my dream can now be fulfilled in Sydney in 2000."For Dingko, the Thai capital happens to be very lucky. It was in Bangkok that he first struck big time by winning the Kings Cup gold in 1977. But Dingko’s achievement this time is far more creditable not only for the fact the competition was far more tougher, but also for the fact that he moved up to the 54 kg. category from the 51 kg. only this year.

According to Dingko, his toughest bout was in the semifinal against Somatai Wongprates of Thailand. He stunned the Thai crowd by getting a verdict 19-1. In the final, against world no. 2 and the Goodwill Games champion Timur Tulyakov of Uzbekistan, Dingko was so superior that the referee had to suspend the contest after four rounds. The right fist of the Uzbek boxer was already injured and he threw in the towel with the Indian boxer on rampage.

The Manipur Government has announced a State award of Rs. one lakh for Dingko. The Chief Minister has promised public holiday and bigger elebrations when the hero arrives in Imphal.