Our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI: Assam put up a dominant performance at the Yonex-Sunrise North East Zone Inter-State Badminton Championship 2026 in Shillong and won all four gold medals in the team events.
In the finals held on Thursday, Assam’s boys’ and girls’ teams emerged champions in the junior team events with impressive victories. Assam’s men’s and women’s teams also lived up to expectations, winning gold medals in the senior team events.
With their gold-medal victories, the Assam men’s and women’s teams became zonal champions and also qualified for the next edition of the National Games scheduled to be held in Meghalaya in 2027.
At the Indoor Stadium of the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex, Assam men’s team, defeated Manipur 3-1 in the final. Shubhangkar Dutta although suffered defeat in the first match but Assam bounced back to win the next three matches. Tanmay Bikash Barua and Arijit Chaliha won their respective singles matches, while Suraj Goala and Swarnaraj Bora secured victory in the doubles.
Meanwhile, the Assam women’s team defeated Mizoram 3-0. Asmita Chaliha and Muyuri Barman won their singles matches, while Asmita, partnering with Manali Bora, also won the doubles match.
In the junior boys’ final, Assam defeated Arunachal Pradesh 2-0. The one-sided tie concluded in just 57 minutes. Birnile Akash Changmai won the singles match and then teamed up with Anayan Bora to win the doubles match.
In the junior girls’ final, Assam defeated Mizoram 2-1. Gargi Saikia won the singles match to give Assam the lead, but Bhavishya Changmai and Abhika Borgohain lost the doubles match. In the decisive third match, Naimikha Saikia secured victory to confirm Assam’s gold medal. The championship will continue until September 19. With the team events now concluded, matches in the men’s and women’s singles and doubles, as well as the boys’ and girls’ singles, doubles and mixed events, will be held next.
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