Shillong, July 27: Shillong’s iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium once again witnessed history as Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma inaugurated the 134th edition of the Indian Oil Durand Cup, 2025 — Asia’s oldest football tournament.
The glittering opening ceremony on Saturday marked the start of the Group E matches, with Shillong Lajong FC facing off against the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA). This is the second consecutive year that the Durand Cup is being hosted in Meghalaya’s capital city.
The ceremony was graced by a host of distinguished dignitaries, including Conrad K Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shakliar Warjri, Minister of Sports & Youth Affairs, Kyrmen Shylla, Minister of Revenue & Disaster Management, D.P. Wahlang, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Dr Vijay Kumar D., Commissioner & Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs. There were several top officials from the Armed Forces, too.
Ahead of the kick-off, the Chief Minister, the Sports Minister, and dignitaries met the players and officially launched the Group E matches. All Group E fixtures, including the quarter-finals and semi-finals, will be held in Shillong.
In the opening match, Shillong Lajong FC delivered a resounding performance, defeating Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA) 6–0.
“We are very happy and extremely proud that Shillong is one of the host cities for the Durand Cup for the second consecutive year. This is a great moment for us,” said Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. “We thank the Indian Armed Forces for selecting Shillong once again”, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said.
He added, “Shillong is a football-loving city. The State Government is promoting football both at the grassroots and professional levels.”
The opening ceremony featured enthralling performances by the Indian Armed Forces — including Kalarippayattu demonstrations, para motor displays, and motorcycle stunts. Musical and cultural highlights included the Pipe & Jazz Band of the Army, dance performance to Badloo Ram Ka Badan by the Assam Regimental Centre, renditions by Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP) artists.
He said Meghalaya is on a path to a sporting revolution. As part of the Team Meghalaya initiative, ₹39.17 crore has been granted to 26 state sports associations and the Meghalaya State Olympic Association for structured training.
The government’s STAR program has evaluated over 24,500 athletes. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 footballers are being trained under Mission Football 2.0. Infrastructure development worth ₹1,500 crore is underway to upgrade 518 sports facilities by 2028.
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