BWF World Junior Championships: Lalthazuala, Lalramsanga take first steps towards putting Mizoram on global badminton map

In early 2010, when H. Zohmangaiha used to leave his house in Chanmari West, Aizawl, to play badminton at a nearby facility, his toddler would quietly follow him.

One day, Zohmangaiha caught him in the act. But, instead of scolding the boy, he decided to teach him the sport.

On Monday, that boy—now 18—made his debut at the BWF World Junior Championships. H. Lalthazuala, fondly called Zuala, had little trouble in beating Uganda’s Denis Mukasa 15-4, 15-4, in the first round at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.

For someone from Mizoram—a state where children are more likely to kick a football than swing a racquet—reaching such a stage is remarkable. Yet Zuala is not easily satisfied. “I used to dream that maybe one day I could reach where I am now, but it’s not enough. I want more,” he tells Sportstar.

When Zuala told his father he wanted to pursue badminton seriously, the road ahead was anything but easy. Mizoram is far from being a badminton hotspot.

Zohmangaiha scanned through YouTube for training videos to guide both Zuala and his younger sister, Rinhlui. Finding a place to train was another challenge.

“In Mizoram, it’s mostly older people who play badminton,” recalls Zuala. “We used to go from one stadium to another, looking for a free court. We searched a lot and mostly trained with my father.”

While his father handled training, the financial burden fell on his mother, F. Lalawmpuii, who works with the Directorate of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation in Mizoram.

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A turning point came with the establishment of the Regional Development Centre in Aizawl under the Mizoram Badminton Grassroots Programme — a Tata Trust initiative launched in 2018 with the Mizoram State Sports Council, Mizoram Badminton Association, and the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy (PGBA). “There, coaches Eddie and Ponty took care of us,” says Zuala.

In 2021, he was selected for ITM Academy in Raipur, where Badminton Association of India general secretary Sanjay Mishra serves as chief mentor. Two years later, he earned a spot at PGBA in Hyderabad, where he continues to train. That same year, he became the first player from Mizoram to win a Junior National Championship, claiming the Under-17 Boys’ Singles title at the Jwala Gutta Academy.

For Zuala, 2025 has been a year of milestones. He represented India at the Asian Junior Championships in July, reaching the round of 32, and then made the cut again for the Junior Worlds.

He, however, is not the only Mizo player in Guwahati.

C. Lalramsanga, who grew up in Durtlang Mualveng, Aizawl, is one of four children of C. Lungmuanpuia and K. Lalmalsawmi. He was picked to play mixed doubles with Taarini Suri, and the pair opened with a 15-13, 15-9 win over Ireland’s Senan O’Rourke and Michelle Shochan.

Known to friends as Sanga, he began playing badminton with his elder brother and father on weekends. Like Zuala, he was primarily a singles player until 2023. “I reached the Under-17 boys’ doubles semifinals at the All India Sub-Junior Ranking Tournament in Lucknow. After that, I was picked to train as a doubles player at the National Centre of Excellence,” he says.

Off the court, Sanga can often be found shadowboxing while listening to love songs. On it, he channels pure aggression.

During India’s mixed-team campaign – where the country won a historic first-ever bronze medal – Sanga played a key role as a super-sub. Against Korea in the quarterfinals, Bhargav Ram Arigela and his partner Viswa Tej Gobburu lost the opening game 5-9. India’s doubles coach Ivan Sozonov made a tactical switch, replacing Viswa with Sanga — a move that paid off as the new pair fought back to win 9-7 and 9-5.

“Sanga had already played mixed doubles earlier against Korea, and it’s not easy to step straight into boys’ doubles,” says Sozonov. “Huge credit to him. He had one of the biggest impacts in this medal-winning campaign.”

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The rise of Zuala and Sanga reflects the growing diversity in India’s badminton talent pool. At these Junior Worlds, players from 13 states make up the Indian contingent.

“Coming from Mizoram and doing so well internationally, our State association, parents, and so many people are congratulating us,” says Zuala. “They’re happy because badminton isn’t that popular in Mizoram. But now, because of me and Sanga, little by little it’s growing. I hope we can both play at higher levels so people start believing that Mizo players can do it and build a strong mentality.”

Lalnghinglova Hmar, Mizoram’s sports minister, believes Zuala and Sanga can be the “torchbearers” of the State’s badminton movement.

“Earlier, we couldn’t even grab medals at the North-East level,” he says. “Now we’re knocking on the doors of national championships and have reached the international stage — something which was never dreamt of in the past. If these two youngsters can do it, others will follow.”

The State is already looking ahead. “The Mizoram government has launched the Empowering Mizoram Sports programme this year. We want to produce a player who can represent India at the 2036 Olympics, for which India is also bidding to be the host. We have selected nine priority sports, including badminton being one of them, and will soon hold talent hunts for children aged 8 to 15,” Hmar adds.

Published on Oct 13, 2025