ITANAGAR, Nov 7: Players from the Arunachal Press Club (APC) and Doordarshan Kendra (DDK) Itanagar clinched top honours in various categories at the National Press Day Badminton Championship 2026, held here on Saturday.
In the women’s doubles category, Merry Marging and Yanu Pullom of APC emerged champions, while Ibom Gara and Sonia Pongch of Doordarshan Kendra finished runners-up.
In the mixed doubles category, Goi Gara and Ibom Gara of DDK secured the winners’ title, with Open Singh and Jumter Riba finishing second.
In another doubles category, Rohan Gurung and Tapung Dukam emerged winners, while Akhilesh Dwivedi and Goi Gara finished runners-up, representing APC and DDK, respectively.
Addressing the participants, chief guest Dobin Lendo, a retired Divisional Forest Officer and veteran badminton player, urged them to play sincerely and uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. He said winning and losing were integral parts of any game.
Guest of Honour Taya Bagang, vice-president of the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ), stressed the importance of discipline both on and off the court. He thanked DDK Itanagar and the Department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) for their participation and encouraged young journalists to take up sporting activities. He also appreciated the enthusiasm of veteran players.
APC president Amar Sangno and IPR representative Taw Tara attended the championship as special guests. Sports in-charge Sandeep Kumar Thakur and Ajay Roy, representing Sazis Sports HUB Private Limited, were also present.