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| Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions |
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| Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages |
| Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls |
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Manipur football crisis plays out in LS
Wednesday, November 30,2005
NEW DELHI: A goal in a football match has set the entire polity of Manipur
astir. The crises has reached such a point that only All India Football
Association (AIFA) president and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister
Priyaranjan Dasmunsi now can bail out partyman and Chief Minister O. Ibobi
Singh.
The Manipuris are sulking over the exit of their team by a virtual default
from the 60th National football championship for the Santosh Trophy held at
Kochi on November 17. In the semi-finals against Goa, the Manipuri team was
still celebrating a goal, when they realised that the game was on and the
Goans had reached their goal-post. Before they could put up a defence, the
Goans kicked the ball into the net and won the match by 2-1.
The development sparked off a bandh that paralysed the northeastern state.
It was followed by a mass rally on November 21. Over a dozen social
organisations adopted a joint resolution calling for a boycott of all
national sports events and a withdrawal of All Manipur Football Association
from the AIFA. Banners saying Dont oppress Manipuris were prominently
displayed all over the state.
On Tuesday, Dasmunshi said: I have no power to overturn referee decision
on the ground. But Dasmunshi has sent for video tapes of the match. Ibobi
Singh, sources said, is desperate to showcase some visible action in New
Delhi to placate his people.
In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday Congress member Thokchom Meinya made a special
mention of the referee. When Speaker Somnath Chatterjee disallowed him
saying he could not rake up an issue concerning a referee, Meinya said he
could not be made a laughing stock. Manipur is burning over the
issue, he remarked. Chatterjee hailed Manipurs signal contribution to
football and asked Meinya to take up the matter with the Sports Ministry.
http://indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=82969
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* G * O * A * N * E * T *** C * L * A * S * S * I * F * I * E * D * S *
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Spread the Christmas cheer - even when you're not here!
Send Christmas Greetings to your loved ones in Goa.
2005 Christmas Package - Flowers, Bubbles and Layers of Love.
http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/xmas/
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