SHILLONG — The Northeast Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship has returned to Meghalaya after a decade, bringing more than 250 players from all eight Northeastern states to Shillong for a tournament that will also serve as a qualifying platform for the team events at the 2027 National Games.
The four-day championship began on Wednesday at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Sports Complex and will continue until September 19, with contingents from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim taking part.
Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said competitions of this level are important for developing athletes by giving them opportunities to face players from outside the state.
“We do understand that champion is created from this kind of platform,” Shylla said, stressing the need to provide young athletes with regular competitive exposure. He also pointed to the sharp increase in Meghalaya’s sports budget, from around ₹40 crore eight to nine years ago to ₹844 crore currently.
The government has also raised the National Games gold-medal prize to ₹2 lakh and introduced direct government appointments for state athletes who win medals at major sporting events.
Shylla said athletes selected for Meghalaya’s National Games team will receive a dedicated training stipend. He also announced special provisions under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme to cover treatment and support for sports-related injuries.
The championship has also brought established regional players to Shillong. Assam shuttler Ashmita Chaliha, the first Indian to win the Korea Masters title, said the region’s young players need greater exposure and stronger grooming to move towards the elite level.
“Enjoy what you play, give your absolute best on the court without taking the pressure of winning or losing, and the results will naturally follow,” Chaliha told Meghalaya’s young athletes.
Mizoram’s H. Lalthazuala, fresh from winning the Men’s Singles title at the Cameroon International 2026, is also competing in the tournament.
