Shillong, September 15: Shillong is set to host more than 250 shuttlers from across the North East for the Yonex Sunrise North East Interstate Badminton Championship 2026, which begins on Wednesday at the JN Sports Complex Indoor Stadium.

Organised by the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA) with the support of the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Meghalaya, and under the aegis of the Badminton Federation of India, the four-day championship will bring together players from all eight North Eastern states.

The championship is held on a rotational basis among the eight states. Meghalaya last hosted the event in 2016, while the tournament was subsequently disrupted for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The return of the regional championship has been welcomed by local shuttlers, who will get an opportunity to compete against players from across the North East.

MSBA Vice-President Pynbianglang Laloo said each state, including hosts Meghalaya, can field a maximum of 34 players. The championship will feature U-17, U-19 and senior categories, with both individual and team events.

Matches will begin at 8am on Wednesday.

Among the players competing is Mizoram’s H Lalthazuala, who was the national U-17 champion and represented India at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Indonesia and the World Junior Badminton Championships in Guwahati last year.

Making his first visit to Shillong, Lalthazuala said he was hopeful of putting up a strong performance.

“Not to boast, but I think we have quite a strong team,” he said of the Mizoram contingent.