Produced by: Hitansh Gaur
India created history as they won the South Asian Football Federation Championship for a record ninth time in a row on Tuesday. India defeated Kuwait in the final by 5-4 in the penalties.
A beautiful moment was captured during the SAFF 2023 Final Bengaluru when the crowd started singing 'Vande Mataram- Maa Tujhe Salaam'. Even captain Sunil Chhetri was seen singing on the field. Videos of the moment went viral on social media. The moment brought back the memories of ICC World Cup 2011 final, when the crowd sang the same song moments before Dhoni smashed the last six to win the tournament.
As Sunil Chhetri-led Indian team was celebrating and collecting their medals, one of the players sparked a controversy by draping a flag belonging to the Meitei community of Manipur over his jersey. The player wore the multi-coloured flag while collecting his championship medal.
Indian defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh was seen draped in the Flag of Kangleipak (Salai Taret Flag) during the medal distribution causing an uproar on social media. The 22-year-old comes from the Thoubal district of Manipur, the north-eastern state which has seen various violent clashes recently.
The seven coloured Flag of Kangleipak represents the seven clan dynasties of the Meitei ethnicity of ancient Manipur. Manipur has recently seen a number of violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities across the state.
Indian football player Jeakson Singh said that he draped the flag as he wanted to create awareness about Manipur violence. He wrote on social media, “Dear Fans, By celebrating in the flag, I did not want to hurt the sentiments of anyone. I intended to bring notice to the issues that my home state, Manipur, is facing currently. This win tonight is dedicated to all the Indians. I hope that peace returns to my home state of Manipur. Thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting the team tonight!”
Users on social media have also condemned the actions of Jeakson while some of them demanded action against him. One user wrote, “What is Jeakson Singh doing with a secessionist flag. Doesn't he know that this is not a state/regional level competition rather a prestigious International Tournament where he is representing his Nation India. Take action @IndianFootball.”
Another user said that Jeakson making a political statement at an international tournament was unprofessional. The user wrote, “Jeakson Singh making a political statement during the celebration of India's SAFF win tonight with Salai Taret flag (on) his shoulder. While we congratulate the team for the win, such action is unprofessional for a footballer representing the nation.”
The violence in Manipur first broke out after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hilly districts of Manipur on May 3 in protest against the demand of the Meitei community for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The violence has so far resulted into the deaths of over 100 people with several hundreds injured. Meitei community counts for 53 per cent population of the north-eastern state.
The Kuki tribe and Tribal Nagas are leading the protest against the demand of the Meitei community for the Scheduled Tribes status. Tribal Nagas and Kukis constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.