GUWAHATI: Guwahati and Imphal will be among the host cities for the 131st Durand Cup Football which is scheduled to kick-off on August 16 in Kolkata. It will be the first occasion when Asia's oldest football tournament will be played in the states of Assam and Manipur.
The Indira Gandhi Athletic stadium in Guwahati and Imphal's Khuman Lampak stadium will be the newest tournament hosts alongside the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata and the Naihati Stadium in North 24-Paraganas district of West Bengal. Altogether 20 teams will participate in this edition of the meet.
The Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan will host 10 games including the opening blockbuster-the Kolkata derby between ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, as well as all seven knockout games culminating in the Grand Finale. Guwahati and Imphal will host one of the four groups and a total of 10 games each.
Sharing his thoughts on the occasion Lt Gen KK Repswal Chief of Staff, Eastern Command and Chairman of the Durand Cup Organising Committee, said, "The Durand Cup Football Tournament is a very proud tradition of the Indian Armed forces and the Indian Army takes immense pride in organizing the tournament. We had expressed last year that we wanted to expand the reach of the Durand Cup and we are extremely happy that we have been able to achieve the same this year. It would not have been possible without the enthusiastic and proactive support of the three State Governments."
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