Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Shillong is back in the game. More than 250 athletes descended on the JN Sports Complex Indoor Stadium this Wednesday for the Yonex Sunrise North East Interstate Badminton Championship 2026. This four-day tournament marks the event's return to the city after a ten-year drought.
The Meghalaya State Badminton Association is running the show. They have support from the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Badminton Federation of India. The competition rotates among eight states, but the Covid-19 pandemic stalled the cycle after Meghalaya last held it in 2016.
The courts are busy. Each state is allowed a roster of up to 34 players competing in Under-17, Under-19, and senior brackets. The schedule includes both individual and team trophies.
High-level talent is in the mix. Mizoram brought H Lalthazuala, a national Under-17 champion who competed at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Indonesia and the World Junior Badminton Championships in Guwahati. This is his first trip to Shillong. He remains optimistic about his team's chances. "Not to boast, but I think we have quite a strong team," he said.
Updated at 16th September 2026 at 6:00pm
The stakes just got higher. This year's tournament serves as a mandatory qualifier for the team competitions at the 2027 National Games, which Shillong is set to host. Players from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim joined the hosts and Mizoram to battle for those spots.
State Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla used the opening ceremony to flash the state's bankroll. He noted that Meghalaya's annual sports budget spiked from roughly Rs 40 crore nearly a decade ago to Rs 844 crore today. The government is dangling major carrots: National Games gold medalists from the state net Rs 2 lakh, while a new direct appointment policy guarantees government jobs for medal winners. Athletes can even defer these jobs for up to a decade to chase their careers or finish school.
The ministry is also setting up medical safeguards, including special coverage for sports injuries under the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme. For the squad representing Meghalaya, the government promised a dedicated training stipend.
The opening ceremony drew big names to the JN Indoor Sports Complex. Star shuttler and Korea Masters winner Ashmita Chaliha, who is playing for Assam, showed up to rally the younger crowd. She told the local talent to stop sweating the scoreboard, saying, "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."
Mizoram's Lalthazuala arrived in Shillong riding a wave of momentum, having just bagged the men's singles title at the 2026 Cameroon International.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 9:48am
The event officially runs through September 19. It is formally branded as the 39th National Games qualifier for team events. The opening ceremony featured an oath taking ceremony led by the captain of the Meghalaya squad. Other officials in attendance included Badminton Association of India tournament committee convener Omar Rashid, MSBA senior vice president Dr C. O. Rangad, general secretary Rajesh Kamal, and Assam Badminton Association treasurer Gautam Mahanta.
Minister Shylla noted that the government focus goes beyond payouts, targeting a long term build out of sports infrastructure. Chaliha added that while structured training is already surfacing young talent, consistent high level competition remains the missing link for players looking to break into the elite circuit.
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