Greater Noida: Sarita Devi was heartbroken upon learning about the tragic death of a talented young boxer amidst the ethnic violence that had engulfed Manipur.

Coincidentally, Thingom Rocky Meitei, a state medallist in boxing, was a member of her academy. Just a few months prior to the unrest in Manipur, Sarita and her husband Thoiba had accompanied him to his village, where he was caring for his ill mother.

As a former world championship medallist, Sarita still laments not having the opportunity to check on Thingom when riots erupted in his village of Torbung. Instead, she found herself preoccupied with the needs of coaches and families of other boxers who had been displaced by the conflict.

“It was devastating. He was such a kind-hearted young man, deeply committed to boxing. We later learned that his family had to relocate to a relief camp after their home was set ablaze. Thingom then joined local volunteer groups, and tragically, he lost his life during one of the violent episodes,” Sarita recounted to HT.

“One of our coaches also faced dire circumstances. His house was destroyed, but he and his family managed to escape. We welcomed them into our academy.”

The sport has endured significant challenges amid the prolonged conflict, but Thingom’s death in December 2023 left the boxing community in Manipur in shock.

“We are still struggling to comprehend what happened,” remarked coach ZV Jollyson, a former international boxer present with the Manipur team for the Elite Women’s National Championship.

“In times of crisis, sports often take a backseat,” Jollyson noted, as he also serves as a coach at the MC Mary Kom academy.

Fifteen months after the incident, boxing in Manipur is gradually making progress towards recovery.

During the height of the violence in 2023, numerous boxing clubs were forced to close. When they eventually reopened, many parents were hesitant to allow their children to attend the academies.

Some boxing centers that managed to survive faced challenges due to the inconsistent training schedules caused by intermittent violence and curfews. State-level competitions ceased, and a sub-junior state meet last year was abruptly halted when a curfew was imposed following an incident.

However, this year has shown signs of improvement, particularly with the state now under President’s rule.

A trial was conducted to select a team for the ongoing Championships, resulting in a seven-member team representing Manipur. Among them, only Alena Devi reached the semi-finals, securing a bronze medal.

“We are able to train at our academy because it is residential and secure. The academy is situated in a high-security area,” states Jollyson. “Unfortunately, most other academies and clubs in the state have struggled to maintain regular training over the past 18 months, with many training centers closing down.

Training is frequently disrupted whenever a curfew is imposed, and traveling for competitions has also posed safety concerns. Nonetheless, conditions are gradually improving.”

Sarita, who accompanied the team for the tournament, mentioned that they have successfully organized several competitions this year. “We held a police meet and selected teams for the Nationals through trials. Life must go on,” says Sarita, who oversees around 100 children in her academy.

Despite the challenging circumstances, there have been some positive developments. Sarita visited relief camps and brought several children to her academy. “We want to ensure they do not live in fear and violence. Last year, we took five children from a relief camp and trained them at our academy.”

Two of these children, Anjali Devi and Langlen Chanu, were selected for the National sub-junior championship last year, with Anjali Devi ultimately winning a medal.

“Their homes were destroyed, and both families were residing in relief camps. We communicated with the parents and brought them to our center. If we can...

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