Just wanted to tell the situation of Manipur, Jiksan Singh, who came to collect the trophy with the flag of the home state, clarified
India has won the SAFF Championship 2023 title for the ninth time. In the final match played in Bengaluru, they defeated Kuwait in sudden death.
The Indian football team won the SAFF Championship title on Tuesday. India managed to win this title for the ninth time. Hosts India defeated Kuwait 5–4 in the penalty shootout in the final. Vande Mataram started echoing in the stadium of victory. When Team India was called to receive the trophy, Indian midfielder Jackson Singh caught everyone’s attention. When he reached to collect the medal, he was wearing a flag of seven colors on his shoulder.
Jikson Singh’s picture went viral on social media
As soon as the picture of Jackson Singh with the flag went viral on social media, the fans started trolling him. The flag that Jikson Singh was wearing belongs to the Meitei group, which is believed to be behind the violence in Manipur. Fans trolled Jackson for doing this on the field. Some even called him a traitor.
Jackson Singh gave clarification
Seeing the matter getting worse, Jiksan Singh explained the reason behind his move. He shared his team’s picture and wrote in the caption, ‘Dear fans, I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments by celebrating with the flag. My intention was to draw attention to the issues of the home state. This victory is dedicated to all Indians. I hope peace returns to my home state of Manipur. Thanks to the fans for coming to the stadium and supporting the team!
There is tension in Manipur
Apart from Jickson, Mahesh and Udanta Singh in the team also belong to Manipur. All three were instrumental in winning the Saif Championship. Jackson tweeted with the hashtags “Save Manipur” and “Peace and Love” besides “India” and “SAFF Championship 2023”. Manipur has been rocked by unrest for more than two months, in which more than 120 people have been killed and over 300 injured, while thousands have been displaced.
