Shillong: Assam produced a dominant display at the Northeast Zone Inter-State Badminton Championships 2026, sweeping all four team-event gold medals as Shillong played host to one of the region’s biggest badminton gatherings.
Assam emerged champions in the Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Junior Boys’ Team and Junior Girls’ Team events, making it a memorable outing for the state’s shuttlers at the championships being held in Shillong from September 16 to 19.
The tournament has brought together eight teams and 284 shuttlers from across the Northeast, turning Shillong into a hub of regional badminton and providing players with an important competitive platform.
For Assam, the four gold medals underline the depth of its badminton programme across senior and junior levels. The success was also the result of a collective effort involving players, coaches, officials, physiotherapists and the wider support team.
For the Northeast, however, the significance of the championships extends beyond the medal tally.
The Shillong event is an important link in the region’s competitive pathway, with performances here determining progression to major national competitions. The senior men’s and women’s teams will advance to the Senior National Badminton Championships in Bhubaneswar in November, while the U-19 boys’ and girls’ teams will move on to the Inter-Zonal Championships in Gangtok later this year.
The championships also assume added importance with the National Games Meghalaya 2027 on the horizon, giving shuttlers from the region valuable exposure ahead of the multi-sport event.
With Shillong providing the stage and Assam making the strongest statement on court, the Northeast Zone Championships have once again highlighted the growing competitive landscape of badminton in the region.
For Assam, it was a four-gold sweep. For the Northeast, it was another important step in building a stronger pathway from the regional level to the national stage.
