Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Just like in national hockey, the game in Manipur has also been split into two bodies with each of the two 'Hockey Manipur' proclaiming to be the governing body of the state. Manipur Hockey Association (MHA), along with Manipur Women’s Hockey Association (MWHA) had constituted an interim unified body — Hockey Manipur — in a joint meeting on June 28 with MWHA president N Momon Devi as president and Th Manihar Singh as secretary general. However, the Manipur Olympic Association on June 29 formed another ad hoc committee called Hockey Manipur, with MOA vice-president BC Singh as chairman and Olympian Ksh. Thoiba Singh as convenor. The MOA in a statement said an Indian Olympic Association instruction on June 1 had necessitated the move. The Manipur Hockey Association and Manipur Women’s Hockey Association's membership to MOA was also suspended. As Thoiba Singh would understand, the development is not good for the game in the state which has not produced an international in se...

Yumnam Hemjit Meitei was the only Manipuri in the Indian team in the inaugural Asian Youth Games (June 29-July 7) in Singapore. He finished fifth in the 3 metre springboard diving final held on June 30 with 397.70 points. Wu Dongliang of China was first with 626.60 points, Alharbi Rashed of Kuwait second with 474.95, Cho Sung In of South Korea third with 474.05 and Ali Ospan of Kazakhstan fourth with 417.80 points. Hemjit stood fourth in the preliminary rounds. Even though Hemjit could not get a medal his fifth place finish was a laudable effort. Diving has never been a discipline in which India used to excel at the international stage.