Men play football carrying assault rifles in strange tournament warmup

A group of men have been filmed brandishing assault weapons as they warmup for a football tournament.

The odd display was captured at a village in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur, a state in north east India and shared on social media.

In one clip a man wearing a fluorescent football top grins as he holds a rifle in both hands while dribbling the ball, and in another a group of men pose together- in the same tops – smiling and holding their weapons up.

The football tournament – thought to have happened on January 20 – was part of an event attended by around 300 people, and also featured cultural performances and dancing, according to the Times of India.

An influencer called Nampi Romeo Hansong posted the video on Instagram, which apparently went viral, before later deleting it.

A Manipur charity that supports the local ethnic Meitei population posted a clip of the men on X asking authorities to investigate and questioning whether the players were Kuki Militants.

The 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.’

There has been ongoing violence in Manipur between the Maitei and Kuki-Zo communities since May 2023 over various issues, including land rights and political representation.

Each side has their own militia, with members of the groups – often young men – regularly seen patrolling the area with military-grade grenade launches and assault rifles, according to NDTV.

Both sides claim to be ‘village volunteers’.

Security forces have tried to curb the violence, making several arrests, but the unrest has continued.

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