By Pramod G
IMPHAL, Apr 24 : The president of the Manipur Olympic Association, Bijoy Koijam, MLA, has expressed his firm belief that Manipur will produce Olympian during his tenure.
Bijoy Koijam made this statement after Manipur’s former Olympian Ksh Thoiba vowed to produce Olympian during his tenure as president of Manipur Hockey Federation.
Bijoy Koijam along with politicians and bureacrats who are devoted to development of sports in the state have taken a collective decision to do the needful in bringing out Olympian from the state in the near future.
As a first step to this effect, the MOA has asked officials of the Manipur Hockey to furnish a report about the works to be taken up by the unified hockey body of the state.
Manipur has so far produced two hockey Olympian before the state could not have the Astro Turf facility. But now the state has all the modern facility including the Hockey Stadium with world class Astro Turf field. For quite a long time, Manipur failed to produce Hockey Olympian due to which questions are being raised amongst sports enthusiasist about the reason behind system failure.
A new era is needed to be created amongst politicians, sportsperson and public so that Manipur can produce Olympian in the near future.
The MOA president will soon be sponsoring a state level senior hockey tournament in memory of his late father K Yaima.
Another politician, M Prithiviraj MLA Moirang AC will also be sponsoring a junior state level hockey tournament in memory of his late father M Muhindro.
Speaking to IFP, Prithiviraj opined that hockey needed to be develop from the grass root level. This is the reason behind sponsoring a junior level hockey tournament, he said adding the hockey players needed to be moulded from very young age in the effort to bring to the level of international level.
Despite being a fan of Sachin Tendulkar and fond of developing the game, Prithiviraj however maintained that Cricket could not develop in the state and hence to give more emphasis on the game which are suited to the Manipuris like Hockey.
According to Olympian Ksh Thoiba, hockey has receded its progress in the state since the coming of Astro Turf. Most of the hockey club in the state which maintained grass hockey field at their own ground stopped since the coming of artificial turf. He maintained that grass field is the hunting ground for young hockey player and once such players are physically fit they should be introduced to articial turf.
He however maitained that Astro Turf facility and artificial grass field adjacent to artificial turf should be provided to every district so as develop young hockey player if the state really interested in developing the game to the international standard.