Soccer star from Manipur puts best foot forward

IMPHAL: A young footballer from Manipur, who is suffering from cancer, was left overwhelmed after iconic soccer player and fellow Manipuri, Renedy Singh, reached out to him. Singh raised Rs 2.5 lakh for 22-year-old Maibam Rohit who was diagnosed with colon cancer this April and is currently undergoing treatment in a Guwahati hospital.The money was raised in a charity match between NEROCA FC, an Ileague second-division team from Manipur, and Renedy XI at Khuman Lampak stadium in Imphal on Saturday.
The star of the match, however, was not Singh but Rohit. Dressed in a light green jersey, the ailing footballer watched Singh's team, comprising renowned footballers like Gouramangi, Dhana, Subhash, Sushil, Thoi, Naoba, Bidyananda and Poirei, lose 0-2.
Emotions ran high on Monday as Singh handed over the amount to Rohit at the latter's house in Tentha Khongbal village in Thoubal district. "Bad luck struck me when I was diagnosed with cancer," he rued. Rohit, the youngest and lone man among 10 siblings, belongs to an impoverished family. "I was shocked when I came to know that Rohit had been diagnosed with cancer. I made up my mind to help him," Singh said, adding, "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to football lovers and fans who witnessed the charity match."
Eminent filmmaker Romi Meitei, too, was enthused by Singh's suggestion of a charity match. "NEROCA FC warmly accepted our proposal. It was a successful show," he said.