Tura, Sept 4: St John Secondary School completed a remarkable turnaround from runners-up last year to overall champions at the 2nd District Level Inter-School Games 2026, which concluded at the Don Bosco College campus in Tura on Thursday.
St John dominated the overall medal tally with 12 gold, four silver and nine bronze medals to claim the championship trophy, reversing the result from last year’s inaugural edition when Sherwood School finished on top and St John had to settle for second place.
Sherwood retained a place on the podium this year, finishing runners-up with seven gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals.
The theme of redemption also played out in one of the final day’s biggest contests, with Don Bosco School, Tura, claiming the boys’ basketball title after overcoming Don Bosco School, Rongkhon 56-33.
The victory was particularly significant as the two teams had met in last year’s final, when Rongkhon emerged victorious. Don Bosco Tura produced a dominant display this time around to reverse the result and lift the championship trophy.
The four-day sporting extravaganza brought together more than 1,000 student-athletes representing 42 schools from across the district. Competitions were held in eight disciplines—basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, swimming, kabaddi, taekwondo and athletics.
More than 200 gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded across the eight sports during the concluding ceremony.
The closing ceremony was attended by Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Thomas A Sangma as chief guest. Also present were NPYF working president Dabo M Marak, former Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Affairs J. P. Marak, former MLA Billykid A Sangma, Don Bosco College, Tura principal Rev. Fr. Dr. Jogesh B Sangma, Assistant Director and in-charge of the District Sports Office Saljagring M Marak, and representatives of various sports associations.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma congratulated the organisers, particularly the District Sports Office, for successfully conducting the four-day event.
He also praised the participation of more than 1,000 young athletes and extended his appreciation to the students, teachers, parents and sports officials whose efforts contributed to the success of the games.
Emphasising the importance of sport in youth development, Sangma said events of this nature provide young people with a constructive platform to showcase their abilities and channel their energy in a positive direction.
He encouraged those who did not win medals to remain motivated, stressing that their participation and effort were valuable and urging them to return stronger in future editions.
The successful conclusion of the second edition has strengthened hopes that the District Level Inter-School Games will continue to grow, offering an increasingly important platform for identifying and nurturing grassroots sporting talent across the district.
