Manipur youngster tackles life’s odds to scorch football pitch
Scolded often for neglecting studies and obsessing over football in earlier times, Hormipam Ruivah from Manipur today plays for Kerala Blasters and is a sporting icon.
Accolades and applause weren’t part of Hormipam Ruivah’s growing up years. As an impoverished child from Somdal in Ukhrul district of Manipur, he was more accustomed to being upbraided regularly for sneaking out all too often to play his favourite sport, football.
But that was then.
Today, Hormipam, 22, is a celebrated footballer with Kerala Blasters, a reputed squad competing in the premier Indian Super League. He has also made it to the Indian national team, playing a recent friendly against Belarus.
Fortunes consequently have swung dramatically for Hormipam. Far from being scolded by both parents and teachers, he currently is a toast of his town – his family and other elders included. He is more used to standing ovations wherever he goes.
A journey of the ordinary to extraordinary
The transformation in Hormipam’s life is what makes it all the more fascinating.
The fourth child among six siblings, his childhood was ordinary at best. Like every second household in the village, his family were farmers living hand to mouth; making bare ends meet. He and his siblings helped in the fields during the holidays.
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For a young Hormipam, between school and working in the fields, football was the biggest entertainment and escape. But football in his village was a pastime. A sport people indulged in during the festivals as a form of entertainment. As such, Hormipam’s love for football made him a little bit of a nuisance for his parents and teachers as he was always sneaking off at every possible opportunity to dribble and kick a ball around.
“I honestly cannot remember the number of times I have been scolded and, on some occasions, caned by my parents for coming home late and dirty after a game of football beyond the allowed time,” recalled the soft-spoken player who is known for his strong aggressive style of defending.
The mischief and punishments weren’t reserved for his home alone. At school too, he was always on the receiving end of a teacher’s stick or a scolding as he regularly missed school assemblies; attending classes with soiled uniforms because he had played football before coming to school. The teachers, worried that he could never be straightened, often asked him what he would do with his life if he went on like that.
“I couldn’t say big professions like doctor or engineer because I wasn’t so good at studies. I often said I would become a soldier because that was the only thing I could think of,” said Hormipam.
And then something changed
By the time he was in Class X, his teachers and parents started to see Hormipam in a different light. They didn’t see him as a nuisance anymore but as a young kid brimming with talent. And seeing how interested and dedicated he was in playing football, they encouraged him to pursue football as a career.
“We all knew he was a good player, but we never envisioned football would work out so well for Hormipam,” pointed out Wurngam Ruivah, Hormipam’s elder brother.
But Manipur has a unique ability to throw up sports icons – boxer Mary Kom, hockey player Tingonleima Chanu and footballer Jeakson Singh Thounaojam hail from the state – and Hormipam too courted name and fame.
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In December 2016 during a study break, he heard from his friend Semmi that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) was conducting football trials for their new centre at Takyel, Imphal. Semmi was already a trainee at Sai and was living at the Sai Hostel at that time.
Manipur’s capital city was pretty foreign to young Hormipam who had hardly travelled out of his village. Seeing that he would find it difficult to find a place to put up and commute to and from the trials every day, he decided to stay hidden in Semmi’s room over the course of the trial.
“For four days, I hid in his room. We were quite discreet about how I left the room for the trials and how I came back after the trials so that no one would notice. We shared his food and I stayed in his room until the trials got over.” Hormipam said.
No looking back for Hormipam
He got selected for the academy and played in his torn and tattered boots.
After one and a half years at SAI, Imphal, he moved to Minerva Punjab Football Academy in 2018. At Minerva, he was a key cog in the U-18 team that won the Hero Elite League in the 2018-19 season. His exploits with the team earned him a spot in the Indian U-18 team that won the 2019 SAFF U-18 Cup held in Nepal.
Following his impressive performances as a defender in the U-18 age category, Indian Arrows signed the young defender on loan for the 2019-20 Hero I League season where he clocked up 14 appearances.
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He returned to Roundglass Punjab FC (after Minerva Punjab FC was acquired by Roundglass) the next season, enjoying a stellar campaign that saw him earn a move to Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters.
He has established himself as a regular in the Blasters backline and was a key player in the team’s run up to the ISL final last season where they lost out to Hyderabad FC on tiebreakers.
“It still hurts, losing on penalties in the manner that we did,” the defender said, voicing his disappointment.
But his career as a professional footballer is rock-solid and Hormipam has a lot to look forward to.
His parents will soon be tilling the fields for the year ahead. While Hormipam’s contract with Kerala Blasters has helped alleviate the financial burdens of his parents back home, they still choose to work on their land.
“It’s part of who they are. They don’t need to work in the fields to support us anymore but they’re proud farmers who take much pride in the dignity of their labour. I’m proud of them for this.”
He has also set his sight on getting selected for the Indian national team in the upcoming National Camps.
“I just hope I can have a long career so I can do two things – play football and support my family.” he said. One hopes his wish comes good.
The lead image at the top shows Hormipam has become one of the most important players for Kerala Blasters in recent seasons. (Photo – Kerala Blasters Twitter)
Worngachan A Shatsang is a freelance journalist based in Ukhrul, Manipur. He writes about football, rural life, farming and environmental issues. He is a Rural Media Fellow 2022 at Youth Hub, Village Square.
