One of the Northeast’s top paddlers Mizoram’s Jeho Himnakulhpuingheta underlined his dominance in Northeast table tennis by clinching his fourth men’s singles title at the 5th Toyota NIAPA Northeast Open Table Tennis Tournament at the NIAPA Mini Stadium, Chümoukedima, on Sunday.

On day four of the tournament, Jeho once again got the better of Assam’s Agniv Bhaskar Gohain, defeating him 4–2 in the men’s singles final. The match was a hard-fought affair, but Jeho’s composure and experience proved decisive in crucial moments.

The loss marked Agniv’s third consecutive final defeat in the championship. Manipur’s Khelendrajit Yengkhom and Mizoram’s Alberto LR Ruata finished as losing semifinalists.

The men’s singles carried prize money of Rs. 25,000 for the winner, Rs. 15,000 for the runner-up, and Rs. 5,000 each for the semifinalists.

In the women’s singles category, Assam’s emerging paddler Bhavna Kashyap produced an impressive performance on her NIAPA debut by defeating defending champion Trisha Gogoi 4–3 in a closely contested final. With the win, Bhavna dethroned the top-ranked Assam player to lift her maiden title in Nagaland. Moumita Saha of Mizoram and Anushna Das of Assam ended their campaigns as semifinalists. The women’s singles prize money was Rs. 20,000, Rs. 12,000, and Rs. 4,000 respectively.

The men’s doubles title was retained by Mizoram’s Jeho Himnakulhpuingheta and Alberto LR Ruata, who defeated the Assam pair of Agniv Bhaskar Gohain and Shankab Gautam Baruah in the final. Laishram Bikram Singh and Meisnam Basantakumar Singh of Mizoram, along with Manipur’s Khelendrajit Yengkhom and Ning Thoujam Colman Singh, finished as semifinalists. The men’s doubles category offered prize money of Rs. 30,000, Rs. 20,000, and Rs. 5,000.

Assam’s Shankab and Trisha emerged champions in the mixed doubles, while Agniv Bhaskar Gohain and Bhavna Kashyap claimed second place. Vivek and Anushna Das of Assam, along with Mizoram’s Jeho Himnakulhpuingheta and Malsawmtluangi, were the semifinalists. The mixed doubles prize money stood at Rs. 30,000, Rs. 20,000, and Rs. 5,000.

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In the Best Duo of Nagaland category, Kanishk Jain and Hekito Sema secured first place, followed by Visasier Kevichusa and L. David. Yangro Imchen and Achamo Ngullie, along with Moa Lemtur and Juthsutho Phoji, finished as semifinalists. The category offered prize money of Rs. 15,000, Rs. 12,000, and Rs. 4,000.

The under-21 girls’ singles title was won again by Bhavna Kashyap of Assam, with Anushna Das finishing second. Angkita Sanjenbam of Manipur and Sreyashi Chakraborty of Tripura were the losing semifinalists. The prize money was Rs. 10,000, Rs. 7,000, and Rs. 3,000.

In the under-21 boys’ singles, Manipur’s Khelendrajit Yengkhom claimed the title, while Ning Thoujam Colman Singh finished second. Abhijit Deb of Tripura and Lalruatfela Rate of Mizoram shared third place. The category carried prize money of Rs. 15,000, Rs. 10,000, and Rs. 4,000.

Polan John, Deputy Commissioner and District Sports Council, Chümoukedima, attended the closing ceremony as the special guest and distributed the awards.  Organised by NIAPA, the tournament continues to serve as a major platform for table tennis players from across the Northeast, as the tournament conclude on Sunday evening.