How many of you have ever heard of Mizo Inchai?
No its not a person but a sport.
One of the things Not the Footy has always enjoyed is finding obscure sports and featuring them on the show or the website.
Mizo Inchai is a game that comes from the Manipur region of India and resembles wrestling in many ways.
The ground it is played on needs to be soft, preferably sand. The contestants should wear thin vests or singlets. No oil is allowed on the body or the wearing of any jewellery.
In simple terms the contests lasts three rounds of three minutes per round and your opponent is defeated when both shoulders are pinned to the ground for a count of six or is lifted into the air and held in the air for a count of six. Alternatively if the opponent is pinned to the ground for a six second count the pinned contestant is the loser.
A similar sport from the same region of India is Mukna. This is a combination of Wrestling and Judo.
Historical records show that this sport has been played since the 15th Century. Its origins are fairly gruesome.
The belief is that Pakhangba, the son of the Atiya Guru Sidaba – a man believed to be the father of the Gods – caught his irate brother Sanamahi causing chaos in the kingdom. Sanamahi was furious that his father had named his brother as his successor. Following a long battle Pakhangba is alleged to have caught his brother and held him in a deadly grip that rendered him powerless. From there Mukna was born.
