In an effort to engage the youths and wean them away from substance abuse amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Buwrhin Esa Badminton Championship is being held in Chandel district, Manipur.
Organised by the Monsang Pantha Youth and Cultural Club (MPYCC), the opening ceremony of the 2nd Buwhrin Esa Badminton Championship 2021 was held at Monsang Pantha community hall on Saturday. Sirti Upa Ruh (Monsang Tribe Union) president Ng Gilbert and Monsang Pantha village chief Ng Vincent attended the programme as chief guest and guest of honour respectively.
Highlighting the brief history and objective of organising the badminton championship at Monsang Pantha, advisory member of MPYCC Ts Warshing said that it was to introduce badminton as a new game in a traditionally football dominated Monsang Pantha youth sports history.
The championship is also intended to engage the youths to stay away from substance abuse and keep them busy during this difficult Covid pandemic situation.
Ng Vincent appreciated the MPYCC leaders for taking up such an important initiative to keep the youths engaged with sports and hunt young talents simultaneously. He also encouraged the youth leaders to archive and preserve every cultural and sports activity taken up thus far in the village and outside for posterity. Such exercises will help in the retrospection and introspection of the club history for reference and betterment in future, he mentioned.
Chief guest Upa Ng Gilbert threw light on how sports in the contemporary period can be taken up as a career. He cited the recent success stories of Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and Nilakanta Sharma in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the kind of welcome and appreciation and acknowledgment they have received in Manipur.
It may be mentioned that the 2nd Buwrhin Esa Badminton Championship 2021 is restricted only for Monsang Pantha villagers due to Covid pandemic and other issues.
The tournament is named Buwrhin Esa meaning ‘feast of the harvest’ of the first crop which is celebrated and observed on October 23 every year across all Monsang villages. Buwrhin Esa is an important cultural festival of the Monsang community.
Monsang Olympic Association (MOA) president Ng Anthony; assistant parish priest, St Peter's Parish reverend Fr Kelwin; catechist HCCC Upa Ng Johnson; president SSR Sanuw Ts Dinpham; president MPWDS Sanuw Ng Barbara; speaker SUR Ts Andrew Kolarshing, president JYC Sapa K Edward; Monsang Pantha village authority elders, Ethar Erur team attended the function as special invitees among others.