NE Interstate Badminton C’ship in M’laya from today

SHILLONG, SEP 15: The Yonex Sunrise North East Interstate Badminton Championship 2026 will kick off on Wednesday at the JN Sports Complex Indoor Stadium, with more than 250 shuttlers from across the region set to compete.
Organised by the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA), with support from the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs under the aegis of the Badminton Federation of India, the four-day event marks the return of one of the premier regional tournaments. The championship is hosted on a rotational basis among the eight North East states, with Meghalaya last staging it in 2016. Two editions were lost to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Local shuttlers have welcomed the return of the event, which offers them a chance to test their skills against top players from neighbouring states. Each state contingent, including hosts Meghalaya, can field up to 34 players across U-17, U-19, and senior categories in both individual and team competitions, MSBA vice president Pynbianglang Laloo informed.
Among the notable participants is H Lalthazuala of Mizoram, the reigning national U-17 champion who represented India at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Indonesia and the World Junior Badminton Championships last year. On his first visit to Shillong, Lalthazuala expressed confidence in his team’s prospects, saying, “Not to boast, but I think we have quite a strong team.”