GANGTOK,: The Badminton Association of Sikkim on Sunday held its annual general
body meeting here which was attended by executive members, district
representatives, club delegates, coaches, and officials from across the six
districts.
A
press release informs that the meeting was chaired by Deputy Mayor Tshering
Palden Bhutia and commenced with a welcome address by BAS general secretary
Sakunta Das.
Following
formal permission from the chair, the house unanimously approved the Annual
Report 2024–25 and the Annual Financial Statement after thorough discussion and
review.
The
highlight of the meeting was the formal handing and taking over by the new executive
body.
Newly
elected BAS president Jacob Khaling delivered a heartfelt address, thanking the
outgoing president C. Zangpo for his visionary leadership and tremendous
contribution to the growth of badminton in Sikkim. He also expressed his
profound gratitude to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay, for his
unwavering support to BAS and for graciously accepting the role of chief patron
of the association. He emphasized that the Chief Minister's patronage would
significantly bolster the development of badminton in the State and will inspire
athletes to achieve greater heights, the release mentions.
A key
resolution passed during the meeting was the amendment of Clause 14 of the BAS constitution,
to restructure the executive council for broader representation. The house
unanimously approved the creation of four new posts of senior vice president,
filled by Tshering Palden Bhutia, Jigmee Namgyal, Subash Tamang, and Francis
Rai.
Additionally,
four senior members were appointed as advisors to the association - PT Gyamtso,
C. Zangpo, Prabhakar Verma, and Y. Kazi.
These
changes aim to strengthen the leadership structure and draw upon the wealth of
experience available within the badminton fraternity, said the BAS.
The
house also adopted the subcommittees of BAS, as proposed in the Executive Committee
Meeting held on March 12.
At
the meeting, the tournament calendar for 2025–26 was approved, featuring
flagship events such as:
1. Inter-School Team & Individual Badminton
Championships-2025
2. All India Chief Minister’s Cup Open
Badminton Championship-2025
3. 2nd Edition of the Sikkim Premier Badminton
League-2025
4. State Ranking Badminton Tournaments.
5. State Championship
6. Summer & Winter Badminton Coaching
Camps.
Additionally,
the BAS president constituted a committee to study the feasibility of
scheduling ranking tournaments prior to National Championships, and emphasized
that players must participate in ranking tournaments to qualify for the State
Championships. Top-ranked players in the BAS State ranking will be eligible for
National Level Championships A mandatory selection tournament will be held
prior to each national event to finalize the State team, the release mentions.