Guwahati: Asia’s oldest club football tournament, the prestigious Durand Cup, will be hosted in Kokrajhar, Assam for the first time After being one of the venues for the 132nd edition last year, Kokrajhar has been selected to host the tournament this year and the first match is scheduled to start from July 30 at the Sai Stadium.
Established as a lively prelude to the tournament, the Durand Trophy is set to grace Kokrajhar for the second consecutive year as part of the Trophy Tour.
The event, which will be inaugurated on July 14 at the Bodofa Auditorium, will be attended by state Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Nandita Gorlosa, Bodo Territorial Council CEM Pramod Boro, GOC-in-GOC. Chief, Bodo Territorial Council, Govt. -C, Gajraj Kor, and other stalwarts of the football and sports fraternity in Assam.
After the ceremony, the Durand Trophy will embark on a four-day tour in various parts of the Bodoland Territorial Region, giving football lovers and the public a chance to see their historical glory up close.
The event marks an important milestone for football in Assam, reflecting the growing popularity of the sport amid the recent successes of the Indian team. The inclusion of Kokrajhar as a Durand venue along with other new cities – Jamshedpur and Shillong, underlines the tournament’s commitment to expanding its reach across the North-East.
President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the trophy tour for the 133rd edition of the tournament at a grand function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center on Wednesday.
Organized by the Indian Army on behalf of the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS), the tournament dates back to 1888 and continues its legacy of promoting football and instilling sportsmanship across the country.
With 43 matches in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format culminating in the finals of the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata, this year’s Durand Cup promises to be an exciting ride for players, fans and football lovers. does.