Durand Cup to resume after gap of three years
The 129th edition of the Durand Cup is set to be held after a gap of three years in West Bengal and will take place from August 2 with 16 teams participating. The teams will be divided into four groups and the clubs that finish first and second in each group will progress to the quarters.
After a gap of three years, the historic Durand Cup will make a return with its 129th edition that is set to take place from August 2 this year. The league-cum-knockout tournament will be held in Kalyani, Siliguri and Kolkata in West Bengal with 16 teams participating with a total 27 matches scheduled to be played.
The participating teams will be divided into four groups and the clubs that finish first and second in each group will progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Six Indian Super League and I-League clubs are in line to take part in the prestigious tournament organised by the Services Sports Control Board.
The remainder of the four teams in the tournament will be fielded by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Army will have two teams, Army Red and Army Green. Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia and was started by the British Army in 1888. The last edition was held in 2016 when Army Green defeated NEROCA FC on penalties to win the title.