Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 22 (EMN): The second edition of the Inter-Department Badminton Tournament Kohima 2022 got underway here at the Nagaland Legislative Assembly multi-purpose hall on Friday.
Altogether, 98 teams from 30 departments are vying for championship titles in four categories - men's doubles, women's doubles, mixed doubles and 50+, legislators and retirees.
The champions of each division will walk away with INR 15,000 while runners-up will receive INR 10,000 each during the two-day event which will culminate on July 23.
Gracing the inaugural programme on Friday evening, minister of Higher Education and Tribal Affairs, Temjen Imna Along, expressed happiness that while Nagas continue to point fingers at each other over several issues, the departments have come together to compete with each other in badminton in true sportsmanship spirit.
Calling upon the officers and bureaucrats to ease rules and regulations and protocols while finding ways to help people, Along said, "We can work together as the government and make sure best thing happen to people in every area."
Appreciating the way the inter-departmental competition is being conducted, the minister emphasised on the need to promote and encourage youngsters in order to create badminton champions so that the state of Nagaland will be in the forefront of the nation through the game one day.
Deputy commissioner Kohima, Shanavas C, said the sole purpose of organising the event is to create better coordination and camaraderie between the departments beyond the office premises.
Informing on the inter-department badminton competitions held in other districts, the DC said a need was also felt to organise a similar event in Kohima so that officers of various departments can be come and play together and at the same time interact with each other through the shuttle game.
Shanavas also expressed happiness that the number of teams participating in the event this year has increased to 98 as compared to 72 the previous last year, when the tournament was introduced.
Legislators Y Vikheho Swü and Eshak Konyak are amongst scores of players participating in the competition.