Yubi Lakpi – the coconut snatching game of Manipur 

You must have heard about rugby and American football. After all, they are counted among some of the most popular sports around the world. Ever heard of Yugi Lakpi? If not, then let us tell you that it is our own Indian version of rugby born in Manipur. The only difference is that it is not played with a ball. Instead, an oiled coconut is used. 

The origin story 
Yubi Lakpi is an age-old local game of Manipur. It is played by the native Meitei tribe. The literal translation of Yubi Lakpi in the Meitei language is 'coconut snatching'. To this day, the exact origins of the game remain disputed. But popular belief is that Yubi Lakpi is an evolution of the historic ceremonial enactment of nectar snatching in the Samudra Manthan.  

An official game of Yubi Lakpi is played annually during the Yaoshang festival, the spring festival of Holi, at the palace grounds of the Shree Shree Bijoy Govindaji temple, in the presence of erstwhile royals.  

Rules of the game  
Though you will find that the sport is quite similar to rugby in many ways, it isn’t related in any way to the game. The distinctive difference is that Yubi Lakpi is played with a coconut instead of a ball.  

There are two teams Team God and Team Evil. This is much like  Samudra Manthan, where the Devas team was up against Asuras. The players battle it out with coconut as the ceremonial ‘trophy’ to treasure. Each team has seven players who compete against the opposition team as well as with each other.  

The field is 45m x 18m and is similar to a smaller-sized rugby pitch. It has no grass. At each end of the field, two lines/boxes measuring 4.5m x 3m are placed in the centre of the line. The players have to aim at crossing this line with the coconut in their hand and offer it to the judges seated behind the line.  

A great test of fitness and agility, Yubi Lakpi needs to be played in bare foot and bare body with only a pair of shorts. The players and the coconut both need to be thoroughly oiled before the play to make them all slippery. The players cannot carry the ball holding it to their chest. They have to keep it under their arms. They cannot use their hands and legs to kick out a player. 

To start the game, the referee tosses the coconut in the air. The players spring into action, individually trying to score as many points as possible. Wait, but are these players scoring points for the team? No, though a team sport, the winner is a single player, with each playing for himself. But the annual game’s outcome in terms of team performance still holds significant relevance. 

The relevance  
Do you know that the outcome of the game is significantly important for the land’s future? The result is thought to signify the land’s prosperity for the rest of the year. That is, if Team God wins, it is thought that there will be an abundance of food, prosperity, peace and happiness in the land and if Team evil wins then it is supposed to be bad luck. But what does the winner get? He is rewarded with a money token. Along with the coconut, he is carried by the rest of the team all the way to the temple, for a holy dip in the temple waters.