Shillong, July 9 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday unveiled the Durand Cup Trophies and flagged off the Trophy Convoy for the 134th edition of this historic tournament.

The three glittering pieces of silverware, the Durand Cup, the original prize and the rolling Shimla Trophy (presented by residents of Shimla in 1904), as well as the President’s Cup which the winners keep permanently, will be taken on a roadshow, covering Shillong, Nongstoin, and Tura, later in the day.

Shillong Lajong FC, Ryntih Sports Club and the Meghalaya Police Football Team are three teams from Meghalaya participating in Asia’s oldest football tournament.

“My heartfelt congratulations to @adgpi for their unwavering commitment to organising the Durand Cup year after year, preserving the legacy of one of India’s oldest and most prestigious football tournaments,” Sangma said in an X post.

“Football is more than just a sport for the people of Meghalaya and the North East—it’s a passion that unites communities and ignites pride. I have no doubt that the upcoming Durand Cup will be celebrated with even greater joy and excitement. My warmest congratulations to the organisers, and I wish them all the very best for a truly memorable tournament,” the post further read.

Meghalaya sports minister Shakliar Warjri, along with several senior military and state officials, were also present at the ceremony.

This year for the first time ever, Durand Cup is being played across five states – West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur between July 22 to August 23.

Kokrajhar in Assam will extend their status as Durand Cup hosts for the third consecutive year while Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Shillong in Meghalaya were added as hosts last year. The century-old tournament shifted its home base to Kolkata – the Mecca of Indian Football, and the capital of West Bengal, from Delhi back in 2019, and, will also continue to hold that status for a sixth consecutive edition.

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 beaten Mohun Bagan in a thrilling final last year to get their historic maiden title.

On Tuesday, The Steel City of India welcomed back the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup as the city gets ready to host Asia’s oldest football tournament for the second consecutive year.

The three trophies then travelled through key city landmarks, including Mango Bus Stand, Sakchi Circle, and JUSCO Circle, before being displayed at the JRD TATA Sports Complex, which will be hosting the matches. Later, the trophies also showcased at Bistupur Square.

The Trophy tour continues on Wednesday from Jubilee Park before it moves on to the P&M Mall, which will be the final destination of the tour.

Jamshedpur will host four teams with hosts and pride of the Steel City Jamshedpur FC, 1 Ladakh FC who will be making their debut in Durand Cup, Indian Army FT and a Foreign Services Team adding international flavour to the tournament.

A total of seven matches, including one quarter-final will be played at the JRD Tata Sports Complex with the first match scheduled on 24th July with the other group stage matches to be played on 29th July, 2nd, 5th, 8th and 11th of August. The quarterfinals will be played on 17th August.

–IANS

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