Jeakson Singh, a footballer from Manipur, a state currently engulfed in ethnic violence, caused a stir on Tuesday when he was spotted wrapping a multi-colored Meitei flag over his jersey while receiving his winners’ medal after India beat Kuwait in the 2023 SAFF Championship final.
As stated by Jeakson, he was wearing his “Manipur flag” as a symbol of unity, urging nothing but peace in his state. “It’s my Manipur flag. I just wanted to tell everyone in India and Manipur to stay in peace and not fight. I want peace,” he told ESPN.
Not only did Jeakson receive the SAFF championships winner’s medal with the flag wrapped around his neck, but it was also on display till he left the field with Mahesh.
However, despite being for a good cause, Jeakson’s gesture was met with criticism from certain fans. Others backed the midfielder, who is also the first Indian player to score a goal in the FIFA World Cup.
Jeakson, on the other hand, wasted no time in responding to the criticism, clarifying that his goals were not to hurt anyone and dedicated the victory “to all the Indians.”
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“Dear Fans, By celebrating in the flag, I did not want to hurt the sentiments of anyone. I intended to bring notice to the issues that my home state, Manipur, is facing currently. This win tonight is dedicated to all the Indians,” he wrote on social media.