Harpal Singh Bedi
The 132nd edition of the Asia’s oldest football tournament, the Durand Cup featuring 24 teams will commence on 3 August
The tournament will witness 43 matches with the final to be played on September 3 in Kolkata. First played in 1888, the Durand Cup is the third oldest football tournament in the world. It is the only tournament in India that features teams from the Indian Super League, I-League and the Armed Forces.
The 24 teams, up from 20 last year, have been divided into six groups of four teams each. Three of these groups will play their matchesin Kolkata. Guwahati will host two groups and Kokrajhar in Assam will host one group.
Guwahati and Kokrajhar will also host one quarter-final each, while the rest of the knockout games will be played in Kolkata.
This year’s tournament will also see the participation of foreign teams after a gap of 27 years, with the Army teams of Nepal andBangladesh.
The Durand Cup will feature many popular derbies. Prominent among them will be the Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal Kolkata Derby, one of thebiggest football rivalries in India.
Others include the Kerala derby between ISL side Kerala Blasters and former I-League champions Gokulam Kerala. The two southern derbieswill pit Hyderabad vs Chennaiyin and ISL finalists Bengaluru vs Gokulam Kerala . The clash between North-East United vsShillong Lajong will provide a local flavor.
Bengaluru led by National team captain Sunil Chhetri, are the defending champions. It was the team’s maiden Durand Cup title. Mumbai City were the runners-up afterthey lost the final 2-1 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, the venue of this year’s final as well.
The teams have been divided into six pools
Durand Cup 2023 teamsGroup A: Bangladesh Army , East Bengal, Mohun Bagan , PunjabGroup B: Indian Navy , Jamshedpur , Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai CityGroup C: Bengaluru , Gokulam Kerala , Indian Air Force , Kerala BlastersGroup D: Downtown Heroes , Goa, NorthEast United , Shillong LajongGroup E: Chennaiyin , Delhi , Hyderabad , Tribhuwan ArmyGroup F: Bodoland , Indian Army , Odisha , Rajasthan United