Shillong, July 2: The 133rd edition of IndianOil Durand Cup football tournament, the season opener of Indian Football, will kick off on July 27 with the final scheduled for August 31.
The HQ Eastern Command of the Indian Army announced this on behalf of the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS), which will organise this year’s edition of Asia’s oldest football tournament. Continuing with its commitment to spreading the reach of the Durand Cup further into the East and North-East, two new cities, Jamshedpur and Shillong, have been added as host cities this year.
Kokrajhar in Assam will also play host for the second consecutive year, besides Kolkata, which has been a host for the last five years.
The 133rd edition will see 24 teams representing the widest possible spectrum of Indian football, like the Indian Super League, I-League and other invitational teams, and teams from the Armed Forces. Also, like last year, international teams are expected to participate this year.
Altogether 43 matches will be played in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format, with the finals scheduled at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) in Kolkata.
Kolkata will host three groups while Kokrajhar, Shillong and Jamshedpur will host one each. The three coveted Durand Trophies will be flagged off for a nationwide tour from New Delhi on July 10, 2024, before they reach Kolkata ahead of the opening game on July 27 at the VYBK.
