Jadumani’s silver medal brings a golden glow to Manipur

In recent years, Manipur has gone through a turbulent period of social unrest, and sport has been pushed into the background. From training to holding state tournaments and even fielding teams at national championships, everything has been a significant challenge. In such difficult circumstances, Jadumani’s silver medal in Glasgow shines even brighter for Manipur’s boxing fraternity.

Manipur has given India some of the biggest names in boxing — MC Mary Kom, Dingko Singh, Sarita Devi, Suranjoy Singh — but the last major international medal for them came at the 2018 CWG in Gold Coast, when Mary won gold in the light flyweight division. In the previous cycle, no boxer from Manipur made it to the team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Sarita Devi, the former Asian Games and CWG medallist, who runs a boxing academy in Manipur, puts Jadumani’s triumph into perspective. “This was much needed for Manipur boxing. There was a long gap after many of us won medals on the international stage. The young boxers here needed someone from the current lot to look up to and follow. The boxing fraternity of Manipur were waiting for this opportunity for the last eight years,” Sarita told HT.

“Medals had dried up even at the national level. Some boxers like Jadumani were doing well in the junior and youth categories, but performance on the international stage was lacking. Jadumani has given them the belief that they can achieve success at the highest level,” she added.

As soon as Jadumani landed in Imphal on Wednesday, a big crowd was at the airport to welcome him, followed by a reception to celebrate his triumph. The boxer, who won silver in the 55kg weight division, trains at the Army Sports Institute, Pune (ASI). He feels the facilities at the grassroots need to improve. “Last year, I came home just for two weeks. I am so happy to return home with a medal from Glasgow and seeing the enthusiasm of the people here and the reception I have got makes me feel so proud.”

“The boxers in Manipur come from very poor backgrounds. I know the sacrifices I have made to reach so far. Young boxers still don’t know much about how the sport works at the elite level. I was able to learn all this only when I moved to ASI. Facilities at the grassroots need to improve, focusing on scientific training and sports psychology,” says Jadumani. “I am grateful to Sarita Di. She has always encouraged me and was available to advise me.”

Sarita points out that boxing should be added to the programme of the SAI National Centre of Excellence in Imphal. “We have met SAI officials regarding this. Earlier, the NCOE in Imphal used to have boxing and we benefitted a lot. A high-performance centre, where elite boxers can get training, sports science support, and a proper diet, is much needed in Manipur.”

The NCOEs in Guwahati and Itanagar have boxing. Sarita says there are around 27 academies in Manipur, and while financial support from Khelo India has been a big help, there is still a huge cost involved in running them. “Providing them with a good diet is important, and it needs money. For domestic competitions, they have to buy flight tickets, which again cost so much. We arrange for it,” she says.

In the last few years, training and even state-level competitions have suffered due to the prevailing unrest and protests. “Those who are staying in the academies are able to train, but the training of boxers who come from far-flung areas often got disrupted,” says Suranjoy Singh, a former international and now a national coach.

“There should be more competitions at the national and zonal levels for boxers, which can give them more opportunities. A high-performance NCOE facility for boxers would be of great help,” he says.

Sarita says how tough it has been to focus on the sport in the last three years. “We have worked very hard to keep the sport going and provide training to youngsters. Jadumani’s medal will be a fresh start for boxing in Manipur.”