Sipang tournament amidst uncertain December

Muana
Mizzima News: 12 December, 2006

The shadow of a fresh deportation drive before Christmas loomed large over the one-day Sipang tournament in the heart of Aizawl during the weekend.

The Myanmar Sorrows and Death Society concluded its first one-day Sipang, (Chinlone in Burma) tournament on Saturday (December 9) at Dawrpui School Hall, Aizawl, Mizoram. Ten Sipang teams made up of Burmese migrant workers turned up to play the much missed game watched by huge number of migrant spectators.

The Sipang game had been organized last year by MSDS for a get together and for providing entertainment to its members and migrants from Burma. The game was made a tournament from this year following demands by its members and other Burmese migrants.

"We conceded to the request of our members and other migrant workers so as to open an opportunity for them to socialize and compete. It will be an annual tournament," said Muana, an organizing member of MSDS.

Burmese migrants, mostly weavers, goldsmiths and daily labourers, have limited space and time to play Sipang as the game is not popular in Mizoram. They reportedly practice and play in small spaces inside weaving centres and congested compounds.

The MSDS collected Rs. 200 per team as entry fee for the tournament and awarded track pants and jerseys worth Rs. 900, Rs. 600 and Rs. 300 to the champions, runners up and the team placed third respectively. The venue of the tournament was rented with funds of the organizing society.

"I am grateful to the organizers. Our counterparts (Burmese migrants) in Thailand have better opportunities to play and compete in tournaments while here (Mizoram) we have less opportunity to play Sipang", said Khupte, a player from the champion team.

Meanwhile, the security of Burmese migrants is at stake as deportation drives by the Mizoram authorities is common in December, as part of a measure to check and reduce the supply of illicit drugs and alcohol during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Weavers, daily labourers and others settled and engaged in a permanent work sites are often more vulnerable to this deportation drive.

"No report of such incidents has been received so far. However, there is a possibility of mass deportation like in other years", said Sangte, Secretary of MSDS.

MSDS was formed on May 1, 2005, by Burmese migrants in Mizoram, as a philanthropic organization to help its members in times of sickness and death. It is a self supporting society with funds collected from its members at the rate of Rs. 20 per family per month.

MSDS gave a decent burial, inclusive of all the expenses, to three members and financially helped around 21 of its sick members since its inception.