OUR CORESPONDENT
SHILLONG: The 134th edition of the prestigious Indian Oil Durand Cup has returned to Shillong, with the city set to host around eight electrifying matches this season. The spirit of football roared back to life as the three iconic trophies were unveiled at the State Convention Centre in the presence of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who underlined Meghalaya’s growing prominence in India’s sporting map.
“Last year, Shillong was the best host in terms of the field, arrangements, and, most importantly, fan turnout. I can confidently say, if not the best, Shillong was one of the best locations. I assure you this year will also be the same and I expect more responses from the people,” said the Chief Minister.
Highlighting the city’s passionate football culture, Sangma noted that more local teams are participating this year, making the tournament even more engaging for fans across Meghalaya. To address capacity constraints at JN Stadium, special fan parks will be set up in advance, unlike last year’s last-minute arrangements.
“We had a demand for one lakh tickets last year during the semi-finals, and we couldn’t accommodate all the fans. This time, we will ensure fan parks are created in a much better manner and at better locations so fans can enjoy every match that is going to be held here in Shillong,” he added.
Calling the Durand Cup “a very, very prestigious tournament,” Sangma emphasized its significance beyond the pitch: “It is not just about the sport, but it is more of a tribute and connection and our commitment towards our armed forces.”
Revealing the scale of Meghalaya’s sports development, he stated, “We have almost about 215 different projects for sports infrastructure being implemented in the state as we speak. This makes up for close to 70 percent of all the infrastructure that’s available in Meghalaya.”
He further shared, “Close to about Rs 2000 crores worth of sports infrastructures are being created. Very fast-paced infrastructure is being developed, but we also realised that it’s not just the infrastructure—it’s the manpower, it’s the specific focus on different aspects of training and coaching that needs to be focused on.”
The trophy roadshow, which began at the State Convention Centre, will tour Shillong city, Nongstoin, and Tura, giving citizens a rare close-up view of one of Asia’s oldest trophies and reinforcing Meghalaya’s emergence as a leading sports destination in the country.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma was joined at the launch by Sports Minister Shakliar Warjri, Air Marshal Suraj Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command; Lieutenant General Sanjay Malik, SM, GOC 101 Area; Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra, AVSM, SM, COS HQ Eastern Command, Chairman DCOC, and several senior military officers and officials.
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