Amid Manipur Deaths, Meitei, Kuki Boys Unite For India's Football Glory
NDTV
In fact, India owes its success to strife-torn Manipur, since 16 of the 23 boys who played are from the north-eastern state. Of the 16, 11 are from the Meitei community and four are from the Kukis.
Nearly 200 people have been killed, hundreds left injured or maimed, and tens of thousands have been displaced in the ethnic violence that has roiled Manipur since early May. The state has been bleeding for months as the warring Meitei and Kuki tribes exact a terrible toll on each other. Neither the state nor the centre has been able to bring peace to the troubled north-eastern state. But where they failed, two teen boys might succeed in uniting Manipur, and India. The moment we all have been waiting for!! CHAMPIONS 🎉#INDBAN ⚔️ #U16SAFF2023 🏆 #BlueColts 🐯 #IndianFootball ⚽ pic.twitter.com/B4Ngatn8m1
Meet Bharat Lairenjam, a Meitei, and Levis Zangminlun, a Kuki, who put aside the hostilities back home and led India to a historic win at the South Asian Football Federation Championship. Bharat and Levis scored the winning goals for the country as India beat Bangladesh 2-0 in Bhutan's Thimphu and lifted the SAFF U-16 title for a record-extending fifth time.
In fact, India owes its success to strife-torn Manipur, since 16 of the 23 boys who played are from the north-eastern state. Of the 16, 11 are from the Meitei community and four are from the Kukis.
