📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ramesh Lalwani
Defence
CRPF’s SPANDAN Sports Initiative Unites Kuki and Naga Youth in Manipur’s Kangpokpi
✍️ India Today NE
🗓 16 Sep 2026, 08:37 AM
👁 12
The CRPF’s SPANDAN program organized a sports event in Kangpokpi, Manipur, bringing together Kuki and Naga youth to promote peace and unity.
The Central Reserve Police Force’s SPANDAN (Sports and Physical Development for Youth) initiative held a sports day in Kangpokpi, a town in conflict‑affected Manipur, on Tuesday.
The event saw more than 200 young participants from the Kuki and Naga communities competing in football, volleyball and track events. Organisers reported that the friendly matches were well‑received, with participants praising the opportunity to interact with peers from rival groups.
A senior CRPF officer said the programme aims to use sports as a tool for conflict resolution and to build trust among the region’s youth. He added that such activities are part of a broader strategy to reduce tensions in the state.
Kangpokpi has long been a flashpoint for inter‑ethnic clashes, and the SPANDAN event is one of several efforts by security forces to foster dialogue and cooperation among young people in Manipur.
The event saw more than 200 young participants from the Kuki and Naga communities competing in football, volleyball and track events. Organisers reported that the friendly matches were well‑received, with participants praising the opportunity to interact with peers from rival groups.
A senior CRPF officer said the programme aims to use sports as a tool for conflict resolution and to build trust among the region’s youth. He added that such activities are part of a broader strategy to reduce tensions in the state.
Kangpokpi has long been a flashpoint for inter‑ethnic clashes, and the SPANDAN event is one of several efforts by security forces to foster dialogue and cooperation among young people in Manipur.