Meghalaya Hosts North East Inter-State Badminton Championship

The North East Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship 2026 has returned to Meghalaya for the first time since 2016, serving as the official qualifying ground for the team events of the upcoming National Games 2027.

Venue and Participation: Underway at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Sports Complex in Shillong, the championship features more than 250 top-tier shuttlers representing all eight Northeastern states—Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim.

Infrastructure and Funding: Meghalaya’s Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Wailadmiki Shylla, highlighted that the state's sports budget has scaled significantly, providing robust infrastructure, training platforms, and enhanced incentives for young athletes.

Direct Appointment Policy: The State's transformative Outstanding Direct Appointment Policy guarantees government jobs to athletes winning medals at major events, with a grace period of up to ten years to pursue higher education or sporting advancement.

Star Shuttler's Remarks: Ace Indian shuttler Ashmita Chaliha, representing Assam, praised the region's rising grassroots talent and stressed the importance of high-level match exposure for young players.

Capital of Meghalaya: Shillong, widely known as the "Scotland of the East".

Q: Where is the North East Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship 2026 being hosted?

A: Shillong, Meghalaya

Q: Which major multi-sport event is this championship acting as a qualifier for?

A: National Games 2027

Q: Which prominent international shuttler represented Assam at the tournament?

A: Ashmita Chaliha