Kolkata, Kokrajhar, Jamshedpur & Shillong to host 133rd Durand Cup
Sport
5 min read
The 133rd edition of the Durand Cup will kick off on 27 July 2024. Asia’s and India’s oldest club-based football tournament will end on 31 August 2024, with the final being played at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The 133rd Durand Cup matches will be held in Kolkata, Kokrajhar(Assam), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), and Shillong(Meghalaya). For the first time, Jamshedpur will host the Durand Cup matches.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant is the reigning champion who defeated East Bengal last year to lift the trophy.
133rd Durand Cup Teams and Venues
The 133rd edition of the Durand Cup will feature 24 teams drawn from the Indian Super League, I-League, and Armed Forces. In the past, foreign teams have also participated in the tournament.
Durand Cup 2024 will feature 43 matches, played in a round-robin league-cum-knockout format, with the 24 teams divided into six groups of four.
The tournament's opening match, the semi-finals, and the finals will be played in Kolkata.
Kokrajhar, Shillong, and Jamshedpur will each host one group, while matches of the remaining three groups will be played in Kolkata.
Kokrajhar will host matches at the SAI Stadium, Jamshedpur at the JRD Tata Sports Complex, Shillong at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Kolkata will host matches at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharati Krirangan stadium.
Who Organises the Durand Cup?
The Durand Cup was started by the British Armed Forces stationed in India. The first Durand Cup was held in Shimla in 1888. At present, the Durand Cup is jointly organised by the Indian Army and the All India Football Federation.
Three Trophies for the Durand Cup winner
The winner of the Durand Cup tournament is awarded three trophies: the Durand Cup, the Shimla Trophy, and the President’s Cup.
The Durand Cup is the rolling trophy and the original prize for the winner. The Shimla Trophy was first given in 1904 and was gifted by the people of Shimla.
The President’s Cup was first presented by the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1956.
Winner of the Durand Cup
The Durand Cup has been named after the Foreign Secretary of British India, Mortimer Durand.
The football tournament was initially restricted to the British regiment in India, and later on, it was opened to the Indians.
The first Indian club to win the Durand Cup was Mohammedan Sporting in 1940.
The 2023 edition winner, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, is the most successful team in the competition, with 17 titles.
The fellow Kolkata-based club East Bengal has won the title 16 times.
Army Green was the last team from the armed forces to win the Cup in 2016.
The last I-League team to win the Durand Cup was Gokulam Kerala in 2019.
