IMPHAL: Cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu tried to negotiate his way to the top post in Punjab, but it is footballer Nongthombam Biren Singh who is the country's first chief minister to have been a career sportsman before he became a politician. On his way there, he was also a journalist. The BJP's Biren Singh, took oath this afternoon as Manipur's next chief minister, has worn several hats.
Here are 10 things to know about N Biren Singh:
The BJP's first chief minister in Manipur is 56 years old and belongs to Luwangsangbam Mamang Leikai in Imphal East.
Since 2002, when he contested his first election, he has represented the Heingang assembly constituency, first as a member of the Democratic Revolutionary People's Party and later, in the Congress.
Biren Singh was 18 years old when he was spotted by Border Security Force (BSF) officials during a football match in Manipur capital Imphal.
He joined the BSF team and was the first Manipuri footballer to play outside the state. He was part of the BSF team that won the Durand Cup defeating Kolkata team Mohun Bagan in 1981.
He quit the BSF team a year later in 1982, but played football for 10 more years in the Manipur state team.
In1992 Biren Singh began his second career as a journalist. He was 29.
He edited a Manipuri daily Naharolgi Thoudang and was in 2000 jailed on sedition charges for publishing a speech by an activist accused of supporting extremist groups.
Biren Singh joined the Congress in 2003 and served as minister in charge of several departments. He was a long time a close aide of Congress chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh.
The two leaders fell apart when Biren Singh was left out of the cabinet after the 2012 elections. In October last year, he joined the BJP.
The BJP's Thongam Biswajit Singh was also seen as a frontrunner for chief minister, but Biren Singh was picked because of his experience.
On my visiting to delhi I come accros minerva stricker laago dagabo bei who has ben in India with minerva sinc durand cop but hs been unpaid been sole earner in family he his family is haaving bad time bak home his son is also vry sick n minerva hv got his pasport n nt alowing him to leav and make him play in free his loan fee earnd by real kaashmir too hv not ben paid to him he is in veery bad state someone plezzz plezzz help him
Another unfortunate exclusion from the Blue Tigers camp happened to Isaac Vanmalsawma, the Shillong Lajong youngster. He was let go from the camp for doing an interview with a reporter without the approval of the media manager of the national team. However, it turns out that the interview in question took place back when he was with Shillong Lajong, and the accompanying picture showing him in the national team hotel lobby was just taken from a tweet by the Shillong Lajong official account, giving the appearance that Isaac was interviewed at the team hotel itself. The whole thing must have come as a shock for the youngster who in an interview on TFG Football Podcast (which took place long, long before the national camp began, for the record) spoke gloatingly about how much it meant for him to be at the NT camp.
Odafa Okolie at Southern Samity’s press-conference on Saturday. Image Source: XtraTime
Kolkata: Once highest paid foreign player in Indian foorball, Nigerian forward Odafa Okolie has returned to Mecca of Indian football, Kolkata, as the prolific goalscorer has been unveiled by I-League 2nd Division side Southern Samity today. The three times’ highest goalscorer in the history of Hero I-League has been handed over the no.9 jersey of the club by the President Ratan Dey.
The goal-machine, who has been on the second spot among the all time highest goalscorers’ list, with 179 goals in Indian football, will play for Southern Samity in the final stage of the 2nd Division I-League to help his side to get the promotion to play in the main stage of the Hero I-League. In the press conference Odafa roared in his usual style, as he said, “It is not where I’m playing. Odafa is still Odafa”. He added, “I have come here again. I will do my job but it should be a team effort to qualify for the main stages of the Hero I-league.”
The 6’ft tall Nigerian has the most number of hat-tricks in the history of Hero I-league as he scored thirteen hat-tricks in the competition in his career. The forward was out for months as he last played against Kingfisher East Bengal in the previous season and had been nursing that injury for a long time. Though he claims that he is now completely fit. In the press meet he turned down all the questions which were thrown to him regarding the price tag he has when he last played for Mohun Bagan a few years back, as he claimed, “It’s not always money, at times relationships play bigger roles”, he added, “I’m confident but as I mentioned before, it should be a collective effort from the team to reach the distance.”
Odafa also said, “I have won all the trophies in India except the Federation Cup and still I’m looking for new challenges in the 2nd Division I-League. It’s not where I’m playing, people will say, Odafa is playing.” Odafa is keeping an eye in this season’s I-League as well. He said, “East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Aizawl all are there in the race. But Khalid Jamil has been doing a great job with Aizawl FC and he is a nice a nice guy as well.”
The ace forward criticized the standard of Indian Super League, as he said, “I hardly watch the league. Even if I watch, it’s not more than five minutes. The quality is no longer close to what I maintain. Many foreigners who are playing are nowhere near to my standard.”
Wherever he played, Odafa Okolie has created controversies. But the goal poacher replied, “I worked with Karim Bencherifa when I was there in Churchill Brothers. I worked with him again when he was there in Mohun Bagan. Had there been any problem, I couldn’t have worked with him. This is more of speculating controversies rather than anything else.”
Odafa mentioned that the experience of players like Deepak Mondal and Sandip Nandy in Southern Samity will come handy in their mission to qualify for the main stage of the I-League.
And Indian Football is Still Indian Football (whether I-League or I-League 2), relying on 'golden oldies' to deliver the goods
Why you people hate him or ranti? They would have performed better than those bfc forward or those Kyrgyzstan forwards anyway this is my opinion. May be these odafas and rantis are overpriced
Comments
https://www.the-aiff.com/news-center-details.htm?id=7968
http://www.ndtv.com/people/n-biren-singh-footballer-journalist-manipur-chief-minister-10-facts-1669814
http://thefangarage.com/articles/9970-injuries-and-gaffe-3-players-released-from-india-national-team-camp
Odafa is still Odafa: Odafa Okolie
Odafa Okolie at Southern Samity’s press-conference on Saturday. Image Source: XtraTime
Kolkata: Once highest paid foreign player in Indian foorball, Nigerian forward Odafa Okolie has returned to Mecca of Indian football, Kolkata, as the prolific goalscorer has been unveiled by I-League 2nd Division side Southern Samity today. The three times’ highest goalscorer in the history of Hero I-League has been handed over the no.9 jersey of the club by the President Ratan Dey.
The goal-machine, who has been on the second spot among the all time highest goalscorers’ list, with 179 goals in Indian football, will play for Southern Samity in the final stage of the 2nd Division I-League to help his side to get the promotion to play in the main stage of the Hero I-League. In the press conference Odafa roared in his usual style, as he said, “It is not where I’m playing. Odafa is still Odafa”. He added, “I have come here again. I will do my job but it should be a team effort to qualify for the main stages of the Hero I-league.”
The 6’ft tall Nigerian has the most number of hat-tricks in the history of Hero I-league as he scored thirteen hat-tricks in the competition in his career. The forward was out for months as he last played against Kingfisher East Bengal in the previous season and had been nursing that injury for a long time. Though he claims that he is now completely fit. In the press meet he turned down all the questions which were thrown to him regarding the price tag he has when he last played for Mohun Bagan a few years back, as he claimed, “It’s not always money, at times relationships play bigger roles”, he added, “I’m confident but as I mentioned before, it should be a collective effort from the team to reach the distance.”
Odafa also said, “I have won all the trophies in India except the Federation Cup and still I’m looking for new challenges in the 2nd Division I-League. It’s not where I’m playing, people will say, Odafa is playing.” Odafa is keeping an eye in this season’s I-League as well. He said, “East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Aizawl all are there in the race. But Khalid Jamil has been doing a great job with Aizawl FC and he is a nice a nice guy as well.”
The ace forward criticized the standard of Indian Super League, as he said, “I hardly watch the league. Even if I watch, it’s not more than five minutes. The quality is no longer close to what I maintain. Many foreigners who are playing are nowhere near to my standard.”
Wherever he played, Odafa Okolie has created controversies. But the goal poacher replied, “I worked with Karim Bencherifa when I was there in Churchill Brothers. I worked with him again when he was there in Mohun Bagan. Had there been any problem, I couldn’t have worked with him. This is more of speculating controversies rather than anything else.”
Odafa mentioned that the experience of players like Deepak Mondal and Sandip Nandy in Southern Samity will come handy in their mission to qualify for the main stage of the I-League.
And Indian Football is Still Indian Football (whether I-League or I-League 2), relying on 'golden oldies' to deliver the goods
anyway this is my opinion. May be these odafas and rantis are overpriced