Kokrajhar named among six venues for Durand Cup

KOLKATA, May 25: Asia’s oldest football tournament, the IndianOil Durand Cup, will be back with its 134th Edition and for the first time in its storied history, be hosted in as many as five states with Manipur’s capital Imphal, making a comeback after a two-year gap. The Durand Cup Organising Committee also announced the dates for this year’s tournament to be held between July 22- August 23.
Organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, the tournament is unique in the sense that it pits Services teams against India’s best football clubs and over the past couple of editions, has also seen foreign participation with Army teams from neighbouring nations.
A total of six venues, two in Kolkata (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharti Krirangan) and one each in Imphal (Khuman Lampak stadium), Ranchi (Morhabadi Stadium) or Jamshedpur (JRD Tata Sports Complex), Shillong (Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium) and Kokrajhar (SAI Stadium) have been earmarked for the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup edition.
North East United FC are the defending champions having overcome maximum title-holders Mohun Bagan, in a thrilling final last year to get their historic maiden title.
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 retention (President’s Cup).