Nagaland will host its inaugural Hornbill Festival badminton championship in December, featuring nine categories, international invitations and INR 9 lakh prizes
DIMAPUR — The inaugural Hornbill Festival Invitational Badminton Championship 2026 will be held from December 2 to 5 at the Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence, Sovima, Chümoukedima, as part of the Hornbill Festival celebrations.
The championship is being organised by the Nagaland Badminton Association (NBA) in collaboration with the Directorate of Tourism and the Department of Youth Resources and Sports, with support from the state government.
Announcing this at a press conference at the Hokato Hotozhe Sema Auditorium, Nagaland Games Village, Chümoukedima, on Friday, NBA joint secretary Dr. N Janbemo Humtsoe said the association had been planning the event for some time, but the initiative could materialise only this year. He added that the next edition was planned to be held in Kohima.
Humtsoe said the championship aimed to promote badminton in Nagaland and encourage sports tourism by providing greater exposure to the sport and opportunities for local players to develop their potential and compete at national and international levels.
The tournament will feature nine categories, including Under-15 girls’ singles, Under-17 boys’ doubles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles, along with five age-based men’s doubles categories. The latter will be based on the combined ages of partners, ranging from 75-plus to 115-plus years, subject to minimum individual age requirements.
NBA honorary secretary Joseph Sumi said the championship would offer a total prize pool of INR 9 lakh. The winners will receive INR 50,000, runners-up INR 30,000, while the two losing semi-finalists will receive INR 10,000 each. The entry fee has been fixed at INR 3,000 per player.
The organisers are expecting between 250 and 400 participants, including players from across the Northeast and abroad. Invitations have been extended to players from Bhutan, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Beyond the competition, the venue will feature traditional huts, food stalls serving local delicacies and other cuisines, spaces for indigenous games, a children's play zone and evening music and karaoke sessions.
The last date for submission of entries is November 25. The final list of participants will be published on November 27 at 6 pm, followed by the draw on November 28 at 4 pm. Matches will be played in a best-of-three format, with each game carrying 15 points, in accordance with the laws of badminton.
Participants must possess a Badminton World Federation (BWF) ID, Badminton Association of India (BAI) ID, NBA ID or a valid national passport.
For participation enquiries, players may contact organising secretary Joseph Sumi at 70056 84949.