The three trophies of the 133rd Durand Cup reached Shillong and were displayed at a ceremony at the U Soso Tham Auditorium here today before embarking on a tour around the city and other districts.
The city is gearing up to host the prestigious football tournament for the very first time, with matches in Shillong set to begin on August 2 at the revamped Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma unveiled the trophies in the presence of Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Shakliar Warjri, senior civil servants and officers of the armed forces.
The state capital will host all six of the Group F matches. The group comprises hometown heroes Shillong Lajong FC plus two Indian Super League (ISL) clubs – FC Goa and Hyderabad FC – plus the Nepal army football team Tribhuvan.
In his speech, Sangma said that the tournament will put Shillong firmly on the nation’s football map. The JN Stadium pitch has been resurfaced and is now once again a natural turf, which will go a long way to enabling the city to host ISL and international matches in future.
Shillong was meant to be a co-host last year but the ground was not ready. Indeed, work is still going on in the stands and the area surrounding the stadium, which continues to resemble an untidy construction site.
“I will be rooting for our favourite Shillong Lajong, however, we look forward to competitive and exciting football matches in the coming days and wish all visiting teams and guests a wonderful time in Shillong,” the CM said.
Also sharing his thoughts was Lt Gen Sanjay Malik, who said, “The Indian Army is proud to host this prestigious tournament in Shillong, as we continue with our commitment to spread the reach of the Durand Cup further into the region. In that spirit, Shillong will be hosting the prestigious tournament for the first time. We are sure that the football loving state of Meghalaya is ready for a grand spectacle and the youth will take immense inspiration by watching their favourite players in live action.”
The first match will be played between Shillong Lajong and Tribhuvan Army FC on August 2 at 4pm. All Durand Cup matches this year will also be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network and livestreamed on the SonyLiv platform.
