Shillong: The three magnificent trophies of the 133rd IndianOil Durand Cup reached the Meghalayan capital of Shillong and were proudly displayed at a grand ceremony at the U Soso Tham Auditorium in Secretariat Hills, in the gracious presence of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.
As the city is gearing up to host the prestigious football tournament for the very first time, Sangma hailed the efforts of the Durand Cup organizing committee in bringing about this historic moment for the state, which would put Shillong on the football map of the country.
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The three trophies will tour the city and the surrounding districts, starting from the venue in the presence of Sangma, Air Marshal SP Dharkar, Air Officer Commanding in Chief Eastern Air Command, Lieutenant General Sanjay Malik, General Officer Commanding 101Area, Maj Gen Rajesh A Moghe, VSM Vice Chairman Durand Cup organising committee and a number of senior military and civil officials.
The three trophies were flagged off on July 10 for a nationwide tour by the President of India Droupadi Murmu from the national capital.
Maj Gen Rajesh A Moghe, VSM welcomed and thanked the Chief Minister, State Govt officials, Military officers, the sponsors and organisers of the event and the media personnel.
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He brought out the schedule of matches and wished the team’s best of luck on behalf of Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari GOC-in-C Eastern Command and Patron of the Durand Cup organising committee.
Speaking with immense pride on the occasion, Sangma said, “Football is the most loved and followed sport in Meghalaya and it is an absolute honour for us to host the prestigious Durand Cup for the first time. I urge all the football-loving people of the state to come and watch the matches and I am sure that they will be entertained with some quality football games between some top sides. I will be rooting for our favourite Shillong Lajong, however, we look forward to competitive and exciting football matches in the coming days and wish all visiting teams and guests a wonderful time in Shillong. I wish to place on record the excellent coordination between the Indian Army and State Govt machinery for administrative support and infrastructure creation.”
Also sharing his thoughts was Lieutenant General Sanjay Malik who said, “The Indian Army is proud to host this prestigious tournament in Shillong, as we continue with our commitment to spread the reach of the Durand Cup further into the region. In that spirit, Shillong will be hosting the prestigious tournament for the first time. We are sure that the football-loving state of Meghalaya is ready for a grand spectacle and the youth will take immense inspiration by watching their favourite players in live action. On behalf of Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari GOC-in-C Eastern Command and Patron of the Durand Cup Organising Committee, I thank the Chief Guest, State Govt, the Teams and players and everyone involved in this year’s tournament all the very best, for memorable Durand Cup.”
Towards the end of the ceremony, Maj Gen Rajesh A Moghe, VSM along with the Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs, Meghalaya interacted with and answered queries of media personnel.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will host Group F consisting of local side Shillong Lajong FC, Indian Super League sides FC Goa, Hyderabad FC and Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army Football Club.
The first match will be played between Shillong Lajong FC and Tribhuvan Army FC on August 2. The game will start at 4 PM IST.
All matches of the IndianOil Durand Cup will be broadcast LIVE on the Sony Sports Network and can also be live-streamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.
A total of 24 teams, including the three services teams and two Services teams from Nepal and Bangladesh, will be seen in action across 43 matches, which will be played in the four host cities of Kokrajhar, Shillong, Jamshedpur (last two named making their debut as host cities) and Kolkata, which will also host the grand final on August 31st at the hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).