Shillong hosts North East badminton championship after decade-long gap

More than 250 badminton players from across the North East have gathered in Shillong for the Yonex Sunrise North East Interstate Badminton Championship 2026, which begins on Wednesday, September 16.

The four-day championship is being held at the JN Sports Complex Indoor Stadium and is organised by the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA), with support from the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Meghalaya, under the aegis of the Badminton Federation of India.

The tournament is held on a rotational basis among the eight North Eastern states. Meghalaya last hosted the championship in 2016, with subsequent editions disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The return of the regional tournament has given local players an opportunity to compete against shuttlers from across the region.

MSBA vice-president Pynbianglang Laloo said each participating state, including hosts Meghalaya, can field up to 34 players. The competition features Under-17, Under-19 and senior categories, with both individual and team championships on the schedule.

Among the players competing this year is Mizoram's H Lalthazuala, who won the national Under-17 title and represented India at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Indonesia and the World Junior Badminton Championships in Guwahati last year.

The Shillong tournament marks Lalthazuala's first visit to the city. The young shuttler said he was looking forward to the competition and expressed confidence in Mizoram's contingent.

"Not to boast, but I think we have quite a strong team," he said.