Diu, May 22 (IANS) It was year 2000 when a young Jimi Devi Okram stood beside a dusty field in West Imphal’s Singjamei district, watching her seniors practice a curious sport with acrobatic kicks and flying reflexes. The National Games had just been held in Manipur in 1999. Two and a half decades later, Jimi, 38, stands tall as one of the senior-most players in Sepak Takraw at the inaugural Khelo India Beach Games in Diu.
The Manipuri athlete was raised by a widowed mother and later supported by an equally determined elder sister. “My mother always told me, ‘Go play if it makes you happy.’” That early encouragement became her purpose. Jimi lost her mother, too, but never her resolve. “My mom always used to support me. I play even now with the aim to make her name shine always. She will always be an angel beneath my wings,” Jimi told SAI Media.
“My elder sister, who works in a beauty parlour in Manipur, has filled my mom’s position in my life. She has motivated me to go forward with my sports journey and from the money we both earn; she gives me the major chunk to help me prolong my sports career. Before coming to the Khelo India Beach Games too, my elder sister helped me a lot in various ways and has never made feel the absence of my parents,” added Jimi, who has competed in the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, added.
From her early days at the Youth Amateur Welfare Association (YAWA) club in Singjamei to earning selection for the sub-junior nationals within a year of starting, Jimi rose through the ranks rapidly. Her stunning performances nationally and internationally helped her secure a job with the Manipur Police department.
The change Jimi has witnessed in her 25 years of sports career is staggering. “When I started, we had no infrastructure. Today, Manipur has a Khelo India Centre in Heingang, East Imphal, which runs full-time morning and evening sessions and unearths young grassroots talents every day. Even seniors help out because they know it’s about lifting the next generation,” she said.
In the recently-concluded Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025 in Bihar, athletes training at the Khelo India Centre (KIC) for Sepak Takraw in Imphal clinched four golds, one silver, and one bronze, adding to Manipur’s tally of medals as they stood ninth with 30 medals, including 11 gold.
Jimi herself trains at the KIC, under Past Champion Athlete (PCA) or chief coach Wahengbam Pramodini Chanu. “There are a lot of players in Manipur nowadays interested in Sepak Takraw, be it the mini-level, sub junior or junior levels, there are a lot of kids. The KIC in East Imphal has also done wonders. A lot of development is happening in the sport,” Jimi mentioned.
Veteran Manipuri Sepak Takraw coach Surjit Singh Waikom has been an integral figure behind this transformation. He was a part of the first-ever three-member India team to take part in Sepak Takraw at the Asian Games. “The Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Imphal has produced a lot of athletes in Sepak Takraw. Most of the SSB players from Manipur have come out from SAI ranks. The Khelo India centre here as well as the Manipur Government has done immense to develop the sport,” said the 48-year-old to SAI Media.
Seeing his juniors compete at the Khelo India Beach Games will be a lasting experience, according to him. “We don’t have sand courts in Manipur for beach-style play, so we have always trained on local mud grounds. With more courts and structured training coming in, they’ll be ready for international stages,” Singh added.
Jimi, who’s taking part in the Trio Team Girls, Regu Girls and Trio Girls events, wants to make the KIBG experience not only memorable for herself but for her entire state. “Infrastructure facilities have improved rapidly from my time and the kids also have a renewed interest in the sport. Our federation has also done lot for our game. Not just Manipur, in every state of India, the game of Sepak Takraw has levelled up,” the 38-year-old told SAI Media.
As for her own firm resolve of holding the fort as the senior-most competitor, Jimi is far from done. “Age is just a number. I will continue to support these kids, be it as a coach or mentor. This game has given me everything. Now it’s my turn to give back. I may be racing towards retirement age but the kids today will get a lot of benefit going forward through Khelo India games like these. Manipur’s name will continue to shine in Sepak Takraw,” Jimi added with pride.
–IANS
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