Durand Cup to introduce women’s competition next edition | Football News
KOLKATA: Asia’s oldest football tournament – the Durand Cup – will be hosting its 135th edition when Mohun Bagan Supergiants and East Bengal FC meet in the first derby of the season at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.However, Indian women’s football has grown by leaps and bounds in the 134 years of the competition, which culminated with the Durand Trophy trophy tour in the city on Wednesday, with the organizers of the prestigious tournament – the Indian Armed Forces – expressing their enthusiasm to include the women’s game in the coming years.Addressing a ceremony and press conference at AOI Vijay Durg, Major General Dinesh Kumar Singh, Vice Chairman of the Durand Cup Organizing Committee, said that they are considering launching a women’s event alongside the men’s event in the near future.“Why keep the girls?” Singer said was the question that came to mind six months ago as they began preparing for the upcoming season.“So, this is something we have considered. The question is how many venues and what kind of facilities (will be available). So, probably in the next edition we may have a shorter or smaller version of the women’s event,” he added.To raise expectations, the Indian Armed Forces and the Manipur government jointly organized a special women’s exhibition match at the SAI Stadium in Imphal, in preparation for the main event.The tournament will see 24 men’s teams playing across five venues, Ranchi being the latest to take part in the tournament, with the Assam tournament returning to Guwahati after two editions in Kokrajhar.“We have seen the enthusiasm of the people of Kokrajhar. But the state government wants it to come back to Guwahati for easy organization,” said Lieutenant General Gambhir Singh, chief of staff, Eastern Command and chairman of the organizing committee.Among the dignitaries present at the event were Dr. Indranil Khan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Youth Services, Sports and Consumer Affairs, Government of West Bengal.“In the near future fifa world cupwe all support clubs from all over the world. Now is the time to unite and support Indian football and our own footballers,” Khan said.Ranchi, meanwhile, will host its first Durand Cup match on Sunday as Jamshedpur FC take on Defenders FC at the Birsa Munda Stadium. defending champion Northeastern United The title defense will take place on August 1 against Bodoland FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati. Other cities hosting the top-flight tournament are the football-crazy northeastern cities of Shillong and Imphal.
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