Manipur Men With Assault Rifles Play Football, Video Goes Viral
A viral video shows football players in Manipur carrying assault rifles during a game. The video reportedly originated from an Instagram post by a social media influencer in Manipur.
A video has gone viral on social media showing a man carrying an automatic assault rifle while playing football. As per the visuals, several football players dressed in fluorescent green T-shirt and black shorts display firearms publicly during their game.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), one user, identified as Meitei Heritage Society, posted the video and tagged authorities to investigate the incident.
The user, Meitei Heritage Society, wrote, "This video of a football tournament in Manipur has gone viral on social media. What is deeply disturbing is the open display of sophisticated weapons by the so called footballers. Or is it a football tournament of Kuki Militants? We urge the authorities to investigate this open display of assault rifles."
This video of a football tournament in Manipur has gone viral on social media. What is deeply disturbing is the open display of sophisticated weapons by the so called footballers. Or is it a football tournament of Kuki Militants?
— Meitei Heritage Society (@meiteiheritage) February 6, 2025
We urge the authorities to investigate this… pic.twitter.com/3IC5uY9BkH
As per the details, this 'football match warmup' video first appeared in an Instagram post by a social media influencer, identified as Nampi Romeo Hansong, from Manipur's Kangpokpi district, as reported by NDTV.
However, Hansong deleted the Instagram video which carried the watermark 'Kukiland' and a hashtag in his name. Later, Hansong posted a short video of the football match on Instagram, without the men carrying assault rifles.
Nampi Romeo Hansong had also posted a nearly six-minute-long video showing the men with guns on his YouTube channel. The rest of the video depicted cultural performances and scenes from the football match. This video comes in the wake of a dispute between Kuki tribes and the Meiteis that began in May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.
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