Young star shuttlers felicitated

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Jun 16: Four promising badminton players of the State including M Meiraba who won top positions in All India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournaments held this year at Bangalore, Trivandrum and Chennai were felicitated today at the Sangai Continental, MG Avenue.
The felicitation function was organised by Badminton Association of India vice-president Bijoy Koijam in association with senior badminton players and badminton fans. 
Speaking at the gathering, Bijoy Koijam said that it is crucial for the people of the State to support the State’s young and promising players.
Supporting players is one primary duty of any Government but most players of the State have been struggling without any support or assistance from the Government, Bijoy Koijam remarked.
It was only through their own sheer hard work and perseverance that players brought fame and laurels to the State and the country, he said.
Whatever little support players received came from their parents, local clubs and bodies of the games they are playing.
Government rewards Olympic medallists with cash, jobs and even land but what is more important is pragmatic approach to produce more Olympic medallists in the State, Bijoy Koijam asserted.
If there are more standard badminton halls, the State will definitely see emergence of more talented badminton players. However, the Manipur Badminton Association’s hall has been rendered unfit for playing badminton since three/four months back, he decried.
International referee Hodam Gyaneshore and National Referee G Chittaranjan who is also vice president of Imphal West Badminton Association too attended the felicitation function.