Shillong, July 1: The Durand Cup Organising Committee on Wednesday unveiled the 24 participating teams for the 135th edition of the IndianOil Durand Cup, which will be played across five host cities. Meghalaya will be represented by three clubs this year – Shillong Lajong FC, Nongkseh Sports, Social & Cultural Club (SS&CC) and Langsning FC.
All three Meghalaya clubs have been drawn together in the Shillong leg, where they will be joined by tournament debutants Mumbay FC from Maharashtra.
Indian Football League runners-up Shillong Lajong FC are seasoned campaigners in the Durand Cup, while Nongkseh SS&CC earned a historic maiden appearance after winning the 5th Meghalaya State League (MSL). Langsning FC, runners-up in the 5th MSL, complete the Shillong group.
The tournament will commence in Kolkata on July 25 before travelling across Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong and Guwahati over the following four weeks, culminating with the final at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on August 23.
Shillong’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will host matches from July 31 to August 20.
As the home of the Durand Cup since 2019, Kolkata once again forms the centrepiece of the tournament. The city will host two groups, the opening match, two quarter-finals, a semi-final and the final across the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharati Krirangan.
The Kolkata group features record 17-time champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant, 16-time champions East Bengal FC, Mohammedan SC, South United FC, CISF Football Team, Indian Army Football Team, Durand Cup debutants Baghpat FC and Samaleswari Sporting.
Making its debut as a Durand Cup host, Ranchi will stage league matches from July 26 to August 16 before hosting a quarter-final. The Birsa Munda Stadium will welcome Jamshedpur FC, Sporting Club Delhi, Indian Air Force Football Team and debutants Defenders FC of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
Imphal returns as a host city with the Khuman Lampak Stadium staging matches from July 28 to August 17, including a quarter-final. The Manipur leg will feature TRAU FC, NEROCA FC, Indian Navy Football Team and Durand Cup debutants FC Raengdai.
The Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati will host league-stage matches from August 1 to 13. The Assam leg will feature defending champions NorthEast United FC alongside FC1, Bodoland FC and Karbi Anglong Morning Star FC.
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, it has served as a platform for Indian football for well over a century.
The inaugural edition was held in Shimla in 1888 before shifting to New Delhi in 1940. In 2019, the tournament came under the aegis of the Eastern Command and moved to Kolkata. Since then, it has evolved from a single-city event into a multi-city competition while preserving the traditions that have defined it for more than 138 years.
The champions receive three iconic trophies – the Durand Cup and the Shimla Trophy, both rolling honours, and the President’s Cup, which is crafted afresh each year and presented to the winners as a permanent keepsake.
