SHILLONG: As Meghalaya is all set to host the 133rd Indian Oil Durand Cup, the three trophies of the coveted football tournament were unveiled in the state on Thursday.
The three trophies, which were flagged off by state Chief Minister Conrad Sagma during a ceremony at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, will tour the city and the surrounding districts.
The 133rd edition of the tournament will kicked off in Kolkata on July 27.
Speaking during the flagging-off ceremony, the chief minister said it’s a proud moment for Meghalaya, as the state is hosting the prestigious football tourney for the first time.
“It will also put Shillong on the football map of the country,” Sangma said.
The chief minister urged all the football lovers of the state to come and watch the matches. “I am sure that all will be entertained with some quality football games between some top sides,” he said.
Notably, the three trophies were flagged off on July 10 for a nationwide tour by President of India Droupadi Murmu from the national capital.
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, and Kolkata. Kolkata will also host the grand final on August 31st at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).
Jamshedpur and Shillong have been added as host cities this year. While Kokrajhar in Assam will host the football tournament for the second consecutive year, Kolkata has been hosting the Durand Cup for the last five years.
All matches of the 133rd edition of the Durand Cup would be broadcast LIVE on Sony Sports Network (SSN) as well as live-streamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.
