The historic Durand Cup, the oldest club football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world, will be played in the ‘City of Joy’ Kolkata for the next five editions.
The announcement was made by West Bengal Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Arup Biswas and Eastern Command Headquarters Chief of Staff Lt Gen Kamal Repswal during the unveiling of the coveted Durand Cup trophy on Thursday at Fort William.
“The 129th edition of Durand Cup was held in Kolkata in 2019. The kind of response the tournament received in Kolkata was with overwhelming support from the state government. I should mention this because every department of the state government. We have gone out of our way to make the tournament a success,” Gen Repswal said.
Confirming Kolkata as the home of the Durand Cup by 2025, he said, “You all will be very happy to know that the Durand Cup will be held in Kolkata for the next five years.”
The tournament is traditionally organized by the Indian Army on behalf of our armed forces and from this year onwards, the Government of West Bengal will join as a co-host.
WB Sports Minister Arup Biswas also clarified that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans will be able to watch the game in person at the stadium in the latter part of the tournament.
“The West Bengal government has allowed 50% capacity inside stadiums, but in light of the pandemic, the Durand Cup tournament committee has decided to allow minimum attendance and then gradually towards the end of the tournament, if all goes well. If so, we will allow 50% attendance in compliance with government norms during subsequent phases”, Arup Biswas said on Thursday.
Gen Repswal also confirmed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be present for the opening and opening match of the 130th Durand Cup at Vivekananda Yubbharti Krirangan on 5 September.
The first Durand Cup was held in 1888, following the English FA Cup and Scottish Cup, which began in 1871 and 1874 respectively, and the 130th edition of the legendary tournament will begin on 5 September.
Shimla served as the host for the first years of the Durand Cup before the tournament’s base was shifted to New Delhi in 1940. In 2019, however, the tournament returned after a three-year absence, but in its new home – Kolkata.
The inaugural edition took place in Shimla in 1888, when it began as an Army Cup, open only to soldiers of the British Indian Army in India, but soon opened to civilian teams. Named after its founder, Sir Mortimer Durand, British India’s foreign secretary from 1884 to 1894, the prestigious tournament reached its 130th edition in 2021. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been the most successful teams, having won the tournament 16 times.
In the last 129th edition in 2019, held for the first time in Kolkata, Gokulam Kerala went on to register their first silverware in club history, defeating home favorites Mohun Bagan 2–1 in front of a packed Salt Lake Stadium to become champions. emerged. This year, they are back to defend that title.
A total of 16 teams are vying for the 130th Durand Cup Champions title and apart from the defending champions, ISL franchise Kerala Blasters are the second team from the southern state to be known for their football fanaticism.
The ISL is well represented with Bengaluru FC, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC and Hyderabad FC joining the Blasters. The first Indian winners of the tournament, century-old Mohammedan Sporting, will represent the local challenge along with fellow I-Leagues Sudeva FC from Delhi and of course Gokulam. A second team from Delhi and Bengaluru, Delhi FC and Bengaluru United, presented the second division challenge, while the Army also has two teams, Army Green and Army Red. Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Assam Rifles and CRPF are the other four teams involved in the tournament to be played from 5 September to 3 October 2021.
The 130th Durand Cup, with 31 matches, will be held over 19 days at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kreerangan (14 games), Mohun Bagan Club Ground (9 games) and Kalyani Municipal Stadium Ground (8 games).
The Durand Cup is unique in that the winners are awarded three trophies with two rolling (Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy) and the President’s Cup for permanent maintenance.
The teams are divided into four groups, with the top two from each progressing to the quarter-finals. The two semi-finals will be played on September 27 and 29. The final will take place on 3 October.
The four groups for the 130th Durand Cup are as follows:
Group A – Indian Air Force Football Team, Bengaluru United, CRPF, Mohammedan Sporting Club
Group B – Army Green Football Team, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Sudeva Delhi FC
Group C – Bengaluru Football Club, Delhi FC, Indian Navy Football Team, Kerala Blasters Football Club
Group D – Assam Rifles Football Team, Army Red Football Team, Gokulam Kerala Football Club, Hyderabad FC
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