Agartala, September 4:
Agartala is hosting a four-day badminton championship, bringing together players from across the Northeast in a celebration of sports and unity.
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha inaugurated the Yonex Sunrise North East Zone Inter-State and Zonal Badminton Championship 2025 at the NSRCC Indoor Hall on Thursday. Organized by the Tripura Badminton Association, the tournament will run until September 7, with more than 200 players and officials from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura participating.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Saha, a former badminton player, described the event as a “vibrant celebration of talent, unity, and the spirit of the Northeast.” He emphasized the importance of sports in maintaining both physical fitness and mental well-being, and reiterated the state government’s commitment to sports development in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
The Chief Minister highlighted major strides in Tripura’s sports infrastructure over the past six to seven years. He noted the construction of eight synthetic turf football fields, one synthetic hockey turf, a swimming pool, and two synthetic athletic tracks at Panisagar and Badharghat. Several more projects are underway, including additional football turfs, indoor sports halls, and a 200-bed sports hostel at the Dashrath Dev Sports Complex in Badharghat.
Future plans include multipurpose indoor halls in Kailashahar and Udaipur, synthetic football turfs at Gandatuisa and Kakraban, and a world-class sports complex at Bholagiri in Agartala featuring an international-standard swimming pool, football field, and multipurpose hall. The government also plans to establish 50 new open-air gyms across the state.
The inauguration was attended by Youth Affairs and Sports Secretary P.K. Chakraborty, Director L. Darlong, Padma Shri awardee gymnast Dipa Karmakar, and Tripura Badminton Association working president Ratan Saha, among other dignitaries.
