Star India midifielder Jeakson Singh caught many a eye for his outfit during the team's post-match celebration after India beat Kuwait in the final to emerge as the SAFF Championship 2023. The Blue Tigers got better of their opponent 5-4 on penalties after the match had ended in a 1-1 draw both after the designated 90-minute mark as well as the extra time. Jeakson was superb in the defence and was on park for the entire 120 minutes.
However, during the presentation he had donned a multi-coloured which happened to be the Meitei flag which represents the seven clan dynasties who were part of ancient Manipur. However, when Singh was asked a clarification regarding his attire, he did explain the reason for his outfit.
"It was my Manipuri flag. I just wanted to tell Manipur and all of India to stay in peace and save Manipur. I want peace. It's been two months now and fighting is still going on. I just wanted to bring the government's and other people's attention to get peace, you know," he said after the match.
Notably, Jeakson made a reference to the violence in Manipur. One of the main reasons behind the riots in the Northeastern state of India is the Meitei people asking the Supreme Court for the Scheduled Tribe status under the Indian constitution. However, things turned ugly in May when a clash erupted between the Meitei and the other tribal communities which included members from other clans such as Kuku and Zo.
India's 22-year-old midifielder was born in the Thoubal town of Manipur and did reveal that his family members are safe but several others remain affected as the death toll has neared 100 with over 300 injured in the violent clashes in the state.
"Yeah, till now they're safe. But there are lots of families who have suffered and people who have lost their homes," Jeakson said.