PANAJI: In a wonderful gesture, nationwide sports organisation Kreeda Bharati’s Manipur unit felicitated the parents of Olympians – silver-medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, bronze-medallist Shanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma, former India women’s hockey team captain Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and judoka Sushila Devi Likmabam.
Team India got off to a splendid start in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with Manipuri weightlifter Mirabai Chanu clinching a silver medal on the first day of the competition. The Indian campaign grew better as the Olympics progressed with the bronze medal in hockey providing biggest joy to the nation as a 41-year wait for a medal finally came to an end. Manipur-born Nilakanta Sharma, midfielder, played his part as the men’s hockey team tasted hard-earned success to reinvigorate the supporters and fans of the national sport.
Manipuri hockey player Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, half back, came close to winning a medal with the Indian women’s hockey team, as they went down fighting in the bronze-medal playoff. Yet, the heroic performance that defined the women’s hockey team’s progress from not winning a game at Rio 2016 to the fourth-place finish at Tokyo 2020, highlighted the tremendous hard work and efforts to uplift Indian women’s hockey.
Manipur-born Sushila Devi Likmabam, the lone Indian judoka at Tokyo 2020, competed in the women’s 48 kg event.
Kreeda Bharati is constantly working towards creating a conducive environment for development of sports with programmes and activities targeted for holistic upliftment across the country. The Manipur unit’s gesture of honouring parents, will not just be a matter of pride limited to the state; but parents all over the country will feel encouraged to back their children.
