GUWAHATI: The 131st Durand Cup commenced today, August 16 and Guwahati is looking forward to hosting the next match at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium tomorrow, August 17. In tomorrow’s match Northeast United FC will be going against Odisha FC.
The Second Day of the Durand Cup has two matches scheduled, one in Kolkata which will be held between Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC and one in Guwahati between Northeast United FC and Odisha FC. The Durand Cup will be held in three locations, Guwahati, Kolkata and Imphal.
The Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Maninder Singh while addressing a press meet said, “The sale of the tickets has been made available. People can purchase the tickets through online as well as offline modes”. Major General, GOC, 51 Sub Area, Narengi, Vikash Saini and Executive Director, ONGC Nazira, Rajesh Kumar Sharma were also present at the meet.
Nibedan Das Patowari, Director of Sports and Youth Welfare said, “People can get their tickets online on Bookmyshow and the offline tickets can be bought from Sarusajai Stadium, Sports Authority of India Paltan Bazar and City Centre.”
“The tickets will be sold at the price ranges of Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 250. The Assam State Transport Corporation will be providing a free bus service to the citizens to attend the match on August 17”, he further added.
The bus service will cover the routes of Chandrapur, Narengi, Noonmati, Panjabari, Khetri, Sonapur, Khanapara, Jalukbari, Azara, Mirza, Boko, Rampur, Maligaon, Bamundi, Kalitakusi, Doom Dooma, Uzanbazar, Jatia, Ganeshguri, Sixmile, Bhangagarh, Hatigaon, Borbari, Gauhati University, Assam University, and Cotton University.
Complementary tickets are being distributed to various educational Institutions of Guwahati, NSS, NCC, Bharat Scouts and Guides as well as to all the football clubs in the city.
The Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia which started in 1888. It holds all the more importance in Indian Football as the tournament was the first among the three, ie, Durand Cup, Indian Super League, Super Cup.
The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who served as the Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894. It first began as a football tournament for different departments and regiments of the Armed forces of British India and Native India.
