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Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest tournament, the prestigious Durand Cup is back after a gap of two years. But the 129th edition of the tournament will be held in Kolkata, a shift from Delhi where it was primarily held. In an attempt to revive the century-old tournament, Indian Army along with the three service chiefs will organise the Cup for the first time after 2016, in which the Army Green claimed the top honours.
The matches will be staged in three cities- Kolkata, Kalyani and Siliguri from 2nd to 24th August. Kolkata venues for the tournament will be the stadiums of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting Club and the Salt Lake Stadium. The tournament will have complete ‘enthusiastic’ support from the State Government.
To make the edition more competitive and exciting, the organisers have decided to make it a 16-team affair. 6 Indian Super League teams, 6 I-League teams and four from the Defence Services will fight it out amongst each other for the coveted trophy. The teams will be divided into four groups of four each. Format of the tournament will be in a league cum knock-out basis.
ISL Champions Bengaluru FC confirmed to Sportskeeda that they have been invited to participate in the tournament. I-League side Gokulam Kerala FC have also issued a press release stating they have accepted the invite to play in the competition.
Reports suggest that the tournament has been scheduled with the consultation of the All India Football Federation and the FSDL. It is also learnt that there plans to broadcast live matches through Star Sports.
Royal Scouts Fusiliers won the inaugural edition of the Durand Cup back in 1888. Mohammedan Sporting Club is the first Indian club to win the silverware, in 1940, while Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of the Durand Cup, winning it on 16 occasions each. The Durand Cup has been a spectacle in the country for ages, the revival of the competition is a huge boost for Indian football.
