The Trophy unveiling ceremony for the Kokrajhar Chapter of 132nd Edition of the Durand Cup was held at Kokrajhar with Kalyan Chaubey, President, All India Football Federation (AIFF) as the Chief Guest and Major General Dinesh Hooda, Chief of Staff, Gajraj Corps as the Chief Host.
The three trophies of the historical Durand Cup were jointly unveiled by Kalyan Chaubey, Maj General Dinesh Hooda, Promod Boro, Chief Executive Member, Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Major General M Mahendroo, Vice Chaiman Durand Organising Committee, Nandita Gorlosa, Minister, Sports and Youth Welfare, Assam and Major General S Murugesan, General Officer Commanding Red Horns Division.
Apurna Narzary, U-20 Indian Women Football team captain, and members of the press and local sports enthusiasts were also present during the unveiling ceremony. The Trophy unveiling was followed by Bodo Cultural fiesta which included Bardwi Sikhla folk dance, Bihu Dance, performance by famous musician and world record holder, Dr Gwmwtao Basumatary.
The 132nd Edition of the reputed Durand Cup football tournament, organized by the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services is the only tournament in the country which pits Service Teams along with the top teams from different football divisions of India.
The tournament is set to kick-off on August 03, 2023 at Kolkata with Kokrajhar hosting nine matches including one Quarter Final Match. Match between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC will be the opening game on August 5, 2023. All matches will be played at the SAI stadium, Kokrajhar. The Quarter final in Kokrajhar is scheduled on 24 August 2023 and the final match is scheduled on 03 September 2023 in Kolkata. Kokrajhar is playing host to the Durand Cup for the first time.
Maj Gen Dinesh Hooda, Chief of Staff, Gajraj Corps addressed the gathering and spoke about the rich traditions of the Durand Cup, the three trophies and long association with the Indian Armed Forces. He expressed his gratitude to the Government of Assam and Bodoland Territorial Council for providing Armed forces with wholehearted support for the tournament.
Trophy tour of Kokrajhar city escorted by 30 Bikers including five lady bikers visited places like Pragati Bhawan, Civil Hospital (RNB Road), KDSA Playground, Habrubari and SAI Complex among others.
This year the Durand Cup will have 24 teams including all 12 Indian Super League (ISL) teams. Service teams from Bangladesh and Nepal, will also be participating in the legacy tournament.
The last occasion when the foreign teams participated in the tournament was 27 years ago. The Bodoland FC will be taking part for the first time in the Durand Cup which is a rare feat for the local club of Kokrajhar.
Matches in Kokrajhar will start on 05 August at SAI stadium with a spectacular opening ceremony wherein for the first time in the history of Kokrajhar, special events like fly past by Air Force aircrafts, Sky Diving and martial arts by Indian Army will be organised.
