Durand Cup 132nd edition will not be played in violence-stricken Manipur this year, final match to be held in Kolkata

• Image Credit: Google

• Jul 16, 2023 | Poonam Nath

Last season, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Manipur chapter of the Durand Cup at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal...

Digital Desk: The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup football tournament will not be held in the northeast state of Manipur due to ongoing ethnic mob confrontations that have lasted for more than two months. In Manipur, which has seen violence, no football game has been scheduled.

The Indian Army's Eastern Command's Lt. Gen. RP Kalita stated, "Last year, we successfully organised the tournament but this year, due to the current situation in Manipur, we are not able to organise it. However, we are confident that next year, we will surely take the Durand Cup there."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Manipur edition of the Durand Cup at Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal during the previous season. Ten Cup Group C matches were held in Manipur last year.

Given that Manipur was hosting the Durand Cup, Rajnath Singh referred to it as a "historic day."

When the debut game between the two state-based teams of NEROCA FC and TRAU FC was scheduled, the Manipur government also announced a half-day holiday for all government offices and educational institutions.

This year's competition is scheduled to begin on August 4 with Guwahati hosting nine games, including a North-East derby between the city's North-East United FC (NEUFC) and brand-newcomers Shillong Lajong.

At Assam's Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, all contests will take place, including one quarterfinal knockout.

The 132nd Edition of the famed Durand Cup football competition, organised by the Indian Army on behalf of the three services, is the only competition in the nation that pits the top teams from all divisions of the Indian football community against the teams from the three military services.

On September 3, the finals will take place in Kolkata.

On June 30, 2023, from Delhi, the three Durand trophies were collectively flagged off for a 15-city tour. Following the Sunday trip of the trophies to Dehradun, Udhampur was the third stop on the tour.

The trophies had previously travelled to Dehradun, Udhampur, Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, Karwar, Ezhimala, and Kochi before arriving in Guwahati. The tour would also stop in Kokrajhar and Shillong, among other locations.

In addition, they were to stay in Dhaka and Kathmandu before arriving in Kolkata.

The Durand Cup will feature 24 teams this year, including all 12 Indian Super League (ISL) teams.

The competition will also feature service teams from bordering foreign countries Bangladesh and Nepal.