Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa has expressed her desire to return to Nagaland for a badminton course to help develop the sport in the region.
Ponnappa's views came at the closing ceremony of Victor 1st North East Masters (Veteran) Badminton Championship at the Dimapur District Badminton Association Indoor Stadium in Dimapur on Sunday.
Describing badminton as a 'wonderful' sport, Ponnappa insisted that the North East has a lot of potential and, therefore, she would definitely like to come back to the region to impart lessons in the game.
Ponnappa, who is a recipient of the Arjuna Award, is also the brand ambassador for Victor.
Hosted by the Dimapur District Badminton Association (DDBA) under the aegis of the Nagaland Badminton Association (NBA), the three day Masters' Championship kicked off on May 4 with Nagaland Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio inaugurating the tournament.
Nagaland Minister for Roads and Bridges Vikheho Swu, who is also President of the Nagaland Badminton Association, was the guest of honour at the closing.
Except Tripura and Sikkim, all North East States including Nagaland comprising of 92 teams played in seven categories.