By Kyrsoibor Pyrtuh
Last week the Badminton Promotional Group, Shillong, conducted the Shillong Open Badminton 2026 on April 24-25 at the J. N Indoor Sports hall, Polo. Star shuttlers (both veterans and current) from Aizawl, Imphal, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat, Diphu and Guwahati, apart from Jowai, Garo Hills and Shillong, converged in Shillong to compete.
The major highlight of the Shillong Open Badminton 2026 was the participation of Assam’s No. 1, Tanmoy Bikash Baruah; Bijoy Barman, silver medalist at the 47th Indian Masters National Badminton Championship; former Mizoram star shuttler Lamuanoma, also known as Monti; and Meghalaya’s prominent and promising shuttlers, Goldenstar Kharbuli, Mebanker Shullai, Sixthbirth Marak, Gitchiak Sangma, the Kharbuki brothers, Elsa Umdor and others.
Badminton is very much a part of the sports culture in Meghalaya, particularly in places like Shillong and Jowai. However, Garo Hills has also emerged as the new hub for badminton and it is no longer a pastime game, but a significant sport discipline in the State. If one peruses Meghalaya’s State Sports Policy 2019, one will find Badminton recognised by the State as a sport discipline for nurturing and development.
What is the Badminton Promotional Group?
The Badminton Promotional Group, Shillong, is a nascent registered society whose core objective is the promotion of sports, physical and mental well-being. It is currently networking with several Badminton Academies and coaches in the City in its endeavour to groom budding shuttlers. The Group comprises a collective of sports enthusiasts whose aim is to promote the sport of badminton in particular, provide a platform for young talents and shape them into professionals in the field. Since its inception the group, without governmental or corporate support but with the kindred spirit of sports lovers and well-wishers, was able to organize several tournaments, including the recently concluded Shillong Open Badminton 2026, with a high degree of proficiency and professionalism. It also has in its calendar the most crucial tournament, the Badminton Promotional Tourney, slated to be held on July 23-25, 2026. This promotional tournament is specifically designed to provide space for young players under the age of 11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 years old, respectively, to compete and display their skills.
Organising Sports
Championship for North East: Challenges and Opportunities
A common trait ingrained in the psyche of many ethnic groups in the North East is that we are not overly fussy about our surroundings. We have the resilience to survive anywhere with just basic needs and as a result, North East athletes often go wherever they are sent, never complaining or grumbling, even if the facilities are poor. However, times have changed and this mindset must evolve. Athletes are not garbage to be dumped in one room; they are vital citizens and deserve access to better facilities at all levels: local, regional or national. They must be able to compete in improved environments that support their potential and growth.
North East India is a sub-continent by itself and is home to thousands of ethnic/indigenous communities with each having its own language. Thus, one of the major challenges in organising sports tournaments for the North East is the language barrier and the organisers of the Shillong Open Badminton 2026 faced a similar issue communicating with the participants. Communication, both off-court and on-court, was challenging for the organizers. A couple of instances of miscommunication occurred before and during the commencement of the Shillong Badminton Open 2026 which nearly led to a few breakdowns and serious hiccups. It began with a group of young shuttlers who came all the way from Diphu in Assam. These youngsters had converged at the stadium a day before the Championship only to find that their names were not included in the schedule of play and fixtures. In fact, these young shuttlers had submitted their entries before the due date and the fixtures for a particular event had to be redrawn to include them in the playing schedule. However, communicating to them that the matter was resolved and that they must report at the Umpires’ table on the day of the tournament became an arduous exercise.
The organizers of the Shillong Open Badminton 2026 faced constraints due to limited facilities and a major drawback of the tournament was poor communication, with the language barrier being a contributing factor. This poor communication nearly caused star shuttlers from Assam to lose by a walkover, potentially jeopardizing the tournament. Similarly, during the final match of men’s doubles in the 80+ category, an intense rally led to verbal and physical abuse between players. The scuffle was triggered when a shuttle fell on the sidelines and the subsequent point was awarded by the umpire to the winning pair, which the opposing pair vehemently objected to. While the local umpire politely explained her decision in English, which was a foreign language to all parties involved, the language barrier caused the shuttlers to vent their frustration and direct their anger at each other instead.
On the other hand, the opportunities provided by the Shillong Open Badminton 2026, especially, for the local budding talents are huge. It was a platform for them to learn from experienced shuttlers and to compete with the best. Moreover, sports has a big role to play in uniting people and propagating the concept of peaceful co-existence amidst diversity in cultures, languages, food habits, religious affiliations et al. In his speech at the opening of the Shillong Open Badminton 2026, the Chief Guest and MLA of Mawsynram, Bah Olan Suin, aptly stated that the Shillong Open Badminton 2026 provided the platform for the shuttlers from different North Eastern states to come together not only to exhibit their skills but also to build friendship and bridge the gap among different communities through sports.
North East India is not one single entity, rather it is the home of multi lingual, multi cultural, multi ethnic groups and identities. Politically, these diverse community groups were brought together via treaties and agreements into the Indian Union. However, on the socio-cultural aspect the various communities of North East are suffering from stigmatization and stereotyping by the majority community in the plains of India. The region is isolated and still suffers from economic underdevelopment and underrepresentation in the field of sports, etc. Across the region, especially in Meghalaya, sports development is still a distant dream as the State is lacking in infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities to train and equip athletes of various sports disciplines. However, there is no dearth of talent in Meghalaya and these talents have put the State on the National Map by their achievements, but these achievements are not the product of a well-built system. Rather, their achievements were due to their sheer grit and determination and they excelled despite many shortfalls. It is purely the love for sports and the enthusiasm among private citizens across the State that Meghalaya is still witnessing football leagues, sports tourneys, and championships organized by various sports associations and groups of individuals at different seasons annually.
The Diminishing Role of English as the Lingua Franca:
For more than a century, the various regions within North East India were colonized by the British, who brought the English language with them. As a result, English became the medium of instruction and communication at every level. Undoubtedly, English has served as a unifying force among the diverse ethnic and indigenous communities in North East India, helping to ease tensions and conflicts that might otherwise have turned the region into an ethnic minefield.
English remains the lingua franca for the people of North East India. However, in recent times, the usage and standard of communication in English have been rapidly declining due to various socio-political reasons. This decline has led to misunderstandings and fostered suspicion among communities. Such trends are unhealthy and threaten to undermine the peaceful coexistence among North East India’s diverse populations.
The communities of North East India must decide whether to enhance their English communication skills and retain English as their lingua franca or to explore alternative options such as searching for a new common language or should they allow the Hindi language to replace English?
Despite the challenges and miscommunications largely caused by language barriers, the Shillong Open Badminton Tournament 2026 was a grand success. The organizers would like to express their gratitude to all participants, supporters, and well-wishers who contributed to this achievement.
(The writer is a member of the Organizing Committee, Shillong Open Badminton 2026)
