The 1st Kohima District Inter High School Badminton Tournament commenced on July 9 at the Indoor Badminton Stadium, Officers’ Hill, Thegabakha, with Director of School Education, Razouseyi Vese, as the special guest.

In his address, Vese congratulated the Kohima District Badminton Association (KDBA) for organising the tournament and lauded the initiative to promote badminton at the grassroots level. He said sports provide an important platform for developing discipline, teamwork, perseverance and leadership among young people, while contributing to both physical and mental well-being.

Encouraging the participants to make the most of the opportunity, he urged them to compete with dedication, maintain the spirit of sportsmanship, and balance sports with academics. He also appealed to parents, teachers and the community to continue supporting young athletes, expressing confidence that such initiatives would help produce future sportspersons capable of representing Nagaland and the country. He later officially declared the tournament open.

Earlier, KDBA President Kezhalezo Solo, in his welcome address, said the tournament aims to foster unity, promote sportsmanship, strengthen friendships among schools and provide a platform for young players to showcase their talent. He called upon the participants to uphold the values of fair play, discipline, mutual respect and teamwork throughout the competition.

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Speaking on the motive of the tournament, KDBA Vice President (Administration), Kekhrie Pfukha, said the championship is intended to nurture young talent through sports while promoting character building, resilience and teamwork. Referring to the tournament theme, “Serving Dreams, Scoring the Future,” he said the association is committed to identifying and developing promising young athletes through structured coaching and competitive exposure, while encouraging greater support from parents, schools and the community for grassroots sports development.

The programme began with an invocation by Dr SN Among Jamir, Pastor, Chandmari Fellowship, Kohima Ao Baptist Church. A special song was presented by students of Stella Higher Secondary School, Kohima. The programme was chaired by KDBA Honorary Secretary, Thepfuvizo Peter Vizo.