Sikkim gears up to host the prestigious North East Zone Inter State Badminton Championship 2019 from September 19 to 22.
The event will be held at the Indoor Badminton Hall in Paljor Stadium complex.
The championship will have international and top ranking players from all across the Northeast.
The Badminton Association of Sikkim (BAS) has been working on a war footing to host the four-day long championship in a grand manner.
Addressing a press conference at Gangtok on Tuesday, BAS president C Zangpo said, “Sikkim has been hosting this prestigious championship for the fourth time in the State.”
Zangpo mentioned that BAS had organized North East Zonal Badminton Championship successfully in 1995, 2003 and 2011.
He said the championship is an opportunity to see the game of international and top rated players of the country from the northeastern States.
A total of 160 players from all the northeastern States will be participating in the championship.
Each team will comprise 20 players and two team officials.
The championship will have international and top ranking players like India’s ranking No 2 and world ranking No 87 Ashmita Chaliha from Assam in women singles.
There will be India ranking No 1 Maisnam Meiraba from Manipur and India ranking No 11 Bidyasagar Salam from Manipur in boys singles U-19.
India ranking No 1 Dingku Singh Konthoiam and Manjit Singh Khwairakpam from Manipur in boys’ doubles U-19 and Maheshwari Devi Kshetrimayum from Manipur in girls singles U-19.
BAS president Zangpo said such championship would provide better exposure to local players and the international and top rated players would further motivate the young players of the State.
He added that BAI has designated referees and team of technical officials and tournament observer for the championship.
Zangpo also informed that the State coaching camp is going on at Gangtok and Namchi and the final selection trial for the State team has been scheduled to be held on August 31.
He added that after the final selection, the State team members will undergo a a rigorous coaching camp at Gangtok.
BAS general secretary Sukanta Das mentioned that the championship will have live scoring system in each court using Badminton World Federation Tournament’s software.
This will enable the global audience to view the event at the same time and place Sikkim in the international map of badminton.
He informed that for the team events, there will have Rahimatoola Cup for men, Chadha Cup for women, Narang Cup for boys and Shafi Qureshi Cup for girls.
Likewise, there will be open championship in men’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles, women’s singles & doubles and mixed doubles, boys’ singles & doubles and mixed doubles and girls’ singles & doubles and mixed doubles.
Das said this is one of the zonal tournaments in India from which the winner will get direct entry in the national championship as zonal winner from five zones.