IT News
Imphal, Oct 2:
USHA, India’s leading consumer durables brand, supports a two-day “Thang-Ta” competition. Also known as “Huyen Langlon”, this is an ancient Indian martial art from Manipur. Held in Lamlong, Imphal East District, this edition of Thang-ta was a local event. With this association, USHA continues to grow its commitment to nurturing local communities and sports at the grassroots level, while also promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.
Organized by The Malem Apunba Thang-Ta Maheikol and People’s Development Society, the event had 80 contestants, with equal participation from young girls and boys. A majority of the participants were children of women from USHA’s Silai Schools in Imphal East and Imphal West, which were set up in 2013- 2021 with the aim of empowering women in the area to become entrepreneurs once they learnt sewing. A sport like this that has roots in our history teaches children skills that are beyond the walls of a classroom. Each participant will be seen adorning a red jersey, symbolising energy and vitality.
MLA Thangjam Arunkumar Singh, MLA, was the chief guest at the event and commended the enthusiasm of all the participants.
The origin of “Thang-Ta” or “Huyen Langlon” dates back to the 17th century and is amongst the most popular traditional martial-art form in the region that comprises soft movements in sync with rhythmic breathing using weapons like the sword, spear, and dagger. In the Meitei language, ‘huyen’ means war while ‘langlon’ means knowledge or art and the sport itself consists of two components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit-sarak (unarmed fighting).
Commenting on the association, Komal Mehra, Head – Sports Initiatives and Associations at Usha International said, “India is home to a huge variety of indigenous sports, and supporting these provides local communities with a platform to showcase and grow these almost forgotten disciplines. Our aim is to build partnerships that resonate with our belief of creating inclusivity in sports at the grassroots level and restore the former glory of these homegrown games from the corners of our country.” Top honors were won by Mangte Chan Chan Kom (Gold medal) for Junior girls, Sapam Naresh (Gold Medal) for Junior Boys, and Konjengbam Yaiphaba (Gold Medal) in Sub Junior boys and Oinam Zurich (Gold Medal) Sub juniors girls. The winners were awarded prizes courtesy USHA, as well as mementos and certificates. For virtual viewing and amplification, the event was live-streamed on @usha_play on Instagram and Usha Play on Facebook.