IMPHAL, August 2: Lok Sabha MP from Manipur Dr Th Meinya Singh has conveyed the best wishes and luck to the sportspersons bound for Rio Olympics on the ongoing parliament session, sources reaching here said.
“My State, Manipur, the sporting power house has every reason to celebrate because this tiny State has once again created history by sending six sportspersons to represent the country in the Olympic Games,” says private secretary to the MP in a statement quoting Dr Meinya as saying. “On Sunday, our Prime Minister, in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has asked our sportspersons ‘Dil Jeet Kar Aaiye’. Here, I would like to urge our good sportspersons ‘Medal Jeet Kar Aaiye, Sirf Dil Jeetnese Thori Hota Hai’.”BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Kunwar Pushpendra Singh Chande, was also reportedly permitted to associate with the issue raised by Dr Thokchom Meinya.
The six sportspersons who represent India in Rio Olympics are Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, (48 kg weightlifting), Laishram Bombayla(women’s archery), Captain Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and Anuradha Thokchom(Women Field Hockey Team), Khadangbam Kothajit Singh and Chinglensana Singh Kangujam(Men’s Field Hockey Team). Altogether 121 sports persons are representing India in 15 sports disciplines in 66 events. Manipur’s first Olympian is P Nilkamal Singh, who played hockey for Indian team which finished sixth in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984.
Five Manipuri players including the country’s most decorated pugilist MC Mary Kom, who was nominated as Rajya Sabha Member on April 26 this year, participated in the London Olympics 2012 wherein the five times world champion pugilist won a Bronze Medal. This time too, the mother of three kids tried her best to get a berth in the Indian contingent but she narrowly missed it.
