As the state gears up to host the prestigious Durand Cup 2024 football tournament, a coordination meeting was held here today between the Sports and Youth Affairs Department and officials of the armed forces to discuss preparations.
Shillong is set to host one set of group matches, with the other junior co-hosts being Kokrajhar and Jamshedpur, while Kolkata is the main host. The armed forces-organised tournament will begin on July 27 in the West Bengal capital.
The Shillong matches will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which has undergone extensive revamping over the last couple of years, including having the pitch transformed from an artificial turf to natural grass. Increased stadium seating, new floodlights and new dressing rooms have been introduced but the stadium still looks like a large construction site, with work going on round the clock to make it ready in time.
All these efforts were hampered two days ago when the Khasi Students Union (KSU) decided to check the paperwork of the labourers at the ground to weed out so-called illegal migrants, a task that the pressure group has no authority to do under the law. The KSU was also accused of assaulting at least one of the labourers.
Despite the workers being traumatised by the incident, the government has managed to convince them to stay on the project.
Addressing reporters, Commisioner and Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs, Vijay Kumar D, said that the government is hopeful that there will not be further challenges or delays, though he admitted that the labourers are still feeling insecure. The next 10 days is crucial to complete the remaining work, he added.
Shillong will host six matches, with the first match on August 2 to also include a reopening ceremony of the stadium.
Kumar informed that 95 percent of the work at the stadium is complete and only touch-up activities are going on.
“We’re very happy from the Sports Department and the state government that we are using the Durand Cup to reopen the JN Stadium,” Kumar said, adding that the natural turf should allow international matches to be played here in future.
Four teams will be playing in Shillong – the state’s own Shillong Lajong FC, two Indian Super League clubs in the form of Hyderabad FC and FC Goa and an international team from Nepal.
During the coordination meeting today, an army representative said that the field of play at the JN Stadium is probably the best in the North East.
Tickets will go on sale from tomorrow, priced between Rs 100 and Rs 500.
In terms of logistics, teams are expected to be put up at the two five star hotels in the city. Police will be roped in to manage the expected higher levels of traffic in Polo during match days.
Kumar said, though, that the cost of holding such an event here is still being assessed.
“In finance we’re still working out. But requirements are being assessed. So as we move along, I think only when we get closer to the event will we know the finances but it will definitely be a few crore [rupees] because hosting any big event will cost that kind of money. We also hope some recovery of costs through ticket sales and all,” he said.
