Kokrajhar, July 14
The return of the Durand Cup tournament, now in its 133rd edition, is a very prestigious event for Kokrajhar. The three coveted Durand Cup trophies were displayed on Sunday at the Bodofa Cultural Complex, Chandamari.
The trophies were displayed in the august presence of Pramod Boro, Chief Executive Member, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), and Nandita Gorlosa, Minister for Power, Sports and Youth Welfare, Cooperation, and Indigenous Tribal Faith & Culture (Archaeology) Department, Government of Assam.
Also present on the occasion were Lieutenant General RC Srikanth, VSM, Chief of Staff, HQ Eastern Command, and Chairman Durand Cup Organising Committee (DCOC).
Kokrajhar hosted six group matches in the previous 132nd Durand Cup edition last year, when it became only the second city in Assam to host the prestigious tournament. The tremendous response received has ensured that Kokrajhar not only continues as hosts this year, but also hosts an additional match and that too a knockout game.
Clearly enthused on the occasion, Boro, while welcoming all dignitaries and guests said, "I am very happy that the Indian Army has favourably responded to our request of holding an additional game this year in Kokrajhar and have kept their promise to us. As a result, a seventh game, that too a quarter-final knockout of the Durand Cup will be held here for the very first time. We are very grateful, and such magnanimity will only do wonders to the already cordial civil-military relationship, existing in the Bodoland region.
"Like everyone here, I too will be rooting for our favourite Bodoland FC boys, however, we look forward to competitive and exciting football matches in the coming days and wish all visiting teams and guests a wonderful time at Kokrajhar," he added.
Nandita Gorlosa also addressed the audience, saying, "We have seen last year how a tournament like the Durand Cup brought the entire Kokrajhar together,, and this year, thanks to the leadership of our Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) and the Chief Executive Member, it promises to be bigger and better here. Boro has done a tremendous job with the infrastructure here and Kokrajhar is now firmly established on the football map of India, thanks to his tireless efforts. I wish the football loving youth and fans of Kokrajhar a wonderful time supporting your local heroes, while also appreciating good football from all quarters."
Lt General RC Srikanth, VSM, Chief of Staff, HQ Eastern Command, and Chairman, Durand Cup Organizing Committee, said, "There is no better example of the unifying power of football than the Durand Cup being played in Kokrajhar. The Indian Army is proud to host this prestigious tournament for a second successive year in the Bodoland region as we continue with our commitment to spread the reach of the Durand Cup further into the East and North-Eastern parts of the country. In that spirit, we have added Jamshedpur and Shillong as host cities this year. We hope that the football crazy youth of Kokrajhar, take this opportunity of watching their heroes in live action, as an inspiration for a bright future ahead, for them. On behalf of Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, Army Commander Eastern Command, I also wish the organising committee, the players, and everyone involved in this year's tournament all the very best, for a memorable Durand Cup and thank the Government of Assam and sponsors for the conduct of the tournament."
Of the six groups, Group E, comprising Indian Super League (ISL) sides North-East United FC (NEUFC) and Odisha FC along with the Border Security Force (BSF), besides the local Bodoland FC team, will be based in Kokrajhar.
The first match is scheduled to kick off at the SAI Stadium between the popular Bodoland FC and North East United FC, in what can be dubbed as an all Assam derby, on July 30th, 2024. The game starts at 3 pm IST.
A total of 24 teams, including two Services teams from Nepal and Bangladesh, will be seen in action across 43 matches, which will be played in the four host cities of Kokrajhar, Shillong, Jamshedpur (last two named making their debut as host cities), and Kolkata. The last named will also host the grand final on August 31 at the hallowed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK).