Arunachal Pradesh has produced its strongest-ever showing at the North East Inter-State Zonal Badminton Championship, with the Taku Manku-Tseten Gyurmey combination capturing gold in the Under-19 boys’ doubles event in Shillong.
The Arunachal pair defeated their Mizoram opponents 2-1 at the Yonex-Sunrise North East Inter-State Zonal Badminton Championship 2026 in Meghalaya, delivering the state’s standout result at a tournament that produced a remarkable haul of medals for its young shuttlers.
For Manku and Gyurmey, the gold represents more than just another tournament victory. Winning at a regional championship of this level requires consistency across several rounds, and the pair managed to finish at the very top when the pressure was highest. Their 2-1 victory also underlined the competitive nature of the final, with the Arunachal duo having to go beyond a straight-game finish to secure the title.
The performance was part of a much broader success story for Arunachal Pradesh. According to Arunachal State Badminton Association secretary-general General Bamang Tago, the state recorded its highest-ever medal tally at the North East Inter-State Zonal Championship this year.
The Under-19 boys’ doubles event itself produced two podium finishes for Arunachal. While Manku and Gyurmey claimed gold, Samuel Tamang and Lobsang Choidrup added a silver medal, giving the state an impressive one-two finish in the category.
The medal run did not stop there.
Arunachal also secured a silver medal in the Under-19 boys’ team event, while the state’s Under-19 girls’ team returned with a bronze. The results point to a strong showing across both boys’ and girls’ competition rather than the success of a single pair alone.
In the Under-19 boys’ singles, Taku Manku and Samuel Tamang each won bronze medals, adding individual success to their performances in the doubles events. Manku’s campaign was particularly notable because his gold-medal-winning doubles run came alongside a singles medal, showing his ability to compete successfully in more than one demanding format.
The girls’ doubles events also delivered two bronze medals for Arunachal. Beryl M Sayiang and Jessica N Saring finished third, while Laa Yajum and Nisha Upadhyaya also secured bronze. These performances further strengthened the state’s overall medal count in the championship.
There were additional medals in mixed doubles as well. The combinations of Marmin Uli and Adam Doyom, and Lobsang Choidrup and Jessica N Saring, both won bronze medals, helping Arunachal build a deep and varied medal tally across the Under-19 categories.
Taken together, the results show just how productive the championship was for Arunachal’s junior badminton contingent. Gold, silver and bronze medals came across team, singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions, giving the state representation on the podium in multiple formats.
What makes the achievement particularly significant is the pathway it opens for the players next. All competitors who reached the quarterfinal stage at the zonal championship will receive direct entry into the Under-19 Junior National Badminton Championship, scheduled to be held in Sikkim in November this year.
That opportunity could become one of the most important outcomes of the Shillong campaign. A regional medal is valuable, but direct entry into a national-level junior competition gives these players another chance to test themselves against stronger and more diverse opposition from across the country. For emerging athletes, such exposure can be just as important as the medal itself.
The Arunachal State Badminton Association has also recognised the achievement. ASBA working president Dr Mohesh Chai congratulated the state’s shuttlers, with particular praise for Manku and Gyurmey after their gold-medal performance on the regional stage.
The success in Shillong comes at an important time for junior badminton in the Northeast, where young players are increasingly using zonal competitions as stepping stones toward national events. Arunachal’s latest performance suggests that its junior squad is not simply participating in these tournaments but competing across several categories with real consistency.
For Manku and Gyurmey, however, the moment belongs to them. They entered the tournament as one of many young doubles combinations looking for an opportunity and left Shillong as Under-19 zonal champions.
The bigger challenge now waits in November. With national championship qualification secured for the quarterfinalists, Arunachal’s young shuttlers will have another stage on which to prove themselves. The gold in Shillong may have been the headline, but the real story could be what this generation of players does next.
