Shillong, Aug 2: The Shillong leg of the 133rd Durand Cup was inaugurated by Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma, amidst a dazzling opening ceremony on Friday, ahead of the first game here at the newly renovated Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium between local side Shillong Lajong FC and Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army Football Team.
This is the first time that the prestigious Durand Cup is being hosted in the beautiful football loving capital of Meghalaya. Also gracing the occasion were Air Marshal S P Dharkar, PVSM, AVSM, Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Air Command and Lt. General Ram Chander Tiwari, UYSM, AVSM, SM, GOC-in-Chief, Eastern Command.
The opening ceremony had a slew of performances despite non-stop rain. However, one of the major highlights of the event, an Air Show, could not take place due to the inclement weather. Otherwise, the event had a Bhangra and Gatka performance by the 2nd and 13th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment, followed by a daredevil Motorcycle Show performed by the soldiers of Corps of Military Police. Song and dance then continued with performances by the Children Choir and a dance performance on the song “Badloo Ram Ka Badan” by the boys of the Assam Regimental Centre.
The final performance was a Musical Ensemble by more than 800 schoolchildren from different schools of Shillong.
The Chief Minister also met with the players ahead of kick-off and also symbolically inaugurated the Group F proceedings, all six games of which will be played in Shillong.
This was followed by the marching in of the Tournament Flags and the Trophies.
Shillong will host Group F matches, comprising ISL sides FC Goa and Hyderabad FC along with Shillong Lajong FC and Tribhuvan Army Football Team of Nepal.
All matches of the Durand Cup will be broadcast LIVE on the Sony Sports Network and can also be livestreamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.
About Durand Cup
A symbol of India’s football history and culture, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament. Organised by the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, the Durand Cup has been the breeding ground for India’s best footballing talent, over the years.
The inaugural edition happened in Shimla in 1888 and then the tournament moved to New Delhi in 1940, where it was held till 2016. In 2019, the tournament came under the aegis of the Eastern Command and moved to the eastern part of the country, with Kolkata, the Mecca of Indian football and the Eastern Command Headquarters, being the home base. What makes the Durand Cup even more unique is that the winners get three trophies, two rotating (Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy) and one for permanent keep (President’s Cup).
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