Imphal: Manipur MMA fighter W Chungreng Koren, who recently made headlines for his emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the latter to visit his strife-torn home, landed in Manipur on Thursday.
The appeal was made after he clinched the interim bantamweight title in the Matrix Night (MFN) held at Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
He was accorded a warm reception by his relatives, friends, and well-wishers upon his arrival at the Imphal International Airport.
A native of Kamu Koireng village in the Kangpokpi district, Koren expressed his gratitude to the people of Manipur for the heartfelt reception. However, he confessed that the celebratory atmosphere was tinged with somberness due to the ongoing turmoil in the state.
“I want to dedicate my victory to our motherland, Manipur, as an indigenous son of the state. While I am proud to bring laurels to Manipur, I find it difficult to celebrate amidst the suffering and hardship endured by many,” Koren shared.
The interim bantamweight champion affirmed his solidarity with the people of Manipur during these challenging times and called for efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the region.
Reflecting on the widespread attention his appeal to the Prime Minister received, Koren admitted he hadn’t anticipated that his appeal would go viral.
“I spoke from the heart when I appealed to PM Modi to visit my state, which is engulfed in turmoil, and meet its people,” he added.
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