MANIPUR IS A MARTIAL COUNTRY. THEY ARE FEARLESS FIGHTERS, FAIR AND SQUARE. THEY DO NOT MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF THE OPPONENT BY ITS SIZE BUT BY HIS HEART AND SKILL. THEY FOUGHT THE MIGHTIEST BRITISH EMPIRE IN 1891 WITH THEIR HEART AND MARTIAL SKILLS. - IN SPITE OF THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT'S STEP MOTHERLY ATTITUDE TOWARDS  MANIPUR AND MANIPURI ATHLETES, MANIPUR HAS PRODUCED A LARGE NUMBER OF WORLD  CLASS ATHLETES FAR MORE THAN ANY OTHER INDIAN STATE SINCE IT CAME UNDER THE  DOMINION OF THE INDIAN RULE IN 15 OCTOBER 1949, CONSIDERING THE MEAGER POPULATION  OF THE STATE (~0.2%). IN THE FIELDS OF HOCKEY, WEIGHTLIFTING, FOOTBALL, SWIMMING,      ARCHERY, ETC., MANIPURIS HAVE EXCELLED AND HAD SHOWN THEIR VALOUR AND SKILL  WITH SHEAR WILLPOWER AND TRUE ATHLETICISM. THIS STATEMENT IS FAR MORE  UNDERSTATED AS WILL BE EVIDENT FROM THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE OF NG. DINGKO'S  CIRCUMSTANCES - THE CORRUPTED MENTALITY OF THE INDIAN SPORTS' AUTHORITIES TOWARDS MANIPURI ATHLETES; INSTEAD, HOW THIS YOUNG MAN HAS SHOWN HIS MATURED  ATHLETIC ATTITUDE AND GRATITUDE FOR THE COUNTRY HE REPRESENTED, WITH A TRUE  HEART OF A SPORTSMAN, WHEN HE WON THE UNDISPUTED GOLD MEDAL IN BOXING IN THE   ASIAN GAMES, 1998, AT BANGKOK. THANKS TO HIS CUBAN COACH FOR BELIEVING IN HIM  UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. WITHOUT HIS SUPPORT THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT   HAVE SENT HIM. ALL MANIPURIS ARE PROUD OF HIM AND SUPPORT HIS FUTURE ENDEAVOURS.