Durand Cup Arrives in Jamshedpur: Exciting Football Matches Ahead!
Jamshedpur, known as the ‘Steel City of India’ and home to the Indian Super League (ISL) team Jamshedpur FC, welcomed the 133rd Durand Cup with great excitement. The three trophies, including the original Durand Cup, the Shimla Trophy, and the President’s Cup, were showcased for the first time at the XLRI Auditorium.
Special Guests and Speeches
Hafizul Hassan, Minister of Minority Welfare & Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Jharkhand, was the Chief Guest. Lt Gen RC Srikanth, VSM, Chief of Staff, HQ Eastern Command and Chairman of the Durand Cup Organising Committee, and Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice-President of Corporate Services at Tata Steel, were also present.
Lt Gen RC Srikanth expressed pride in hosting the tournament in Jamshedpur, home to the Tata Football Academy. He highlighted the importance of the event in fostering a stronger civil-military relationship and inspiring youth. Hafizul Hassan emphasized Jamshedpur’s rich football tradition and urged locals to support the matches.
Tata Steel’s Role
Tata Steel, through its Tata Steel Foundation, is a key supporter of the Durand Cup. The JRD Tata Sports Complex, recognized as the ISL season’s Best Pitch in 2023-24, will host Group D matches, including teams like Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC, the Indian Army Football Team, and the Bangladesh Armed Forces Football Team.
Upcoming Matches
The opening match will be on July 28th, with Jamshedpur FC facing the Bangladesh Armed Forces FT at 4 PM. The Durand Cup will feature 24 teams, including two from Nepal and Bangladesh, across 43 matches in four cities: Kokrajhar, Shillong, Jamshedpur, and Kolkata. The grand final will be on August 31st at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
All matches will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network and can be live-streamed on the SonyLiv OTT platform.
Doubts Revealed
Durand Cup -: The Durand Cup is one of the oldest football tournaments in India, started in 1888. It is named after Mortimer Durand, a British official.
Jamshedpur -: Jamshedpur is a city in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It is known as the ‘Steel City of India’ because it has many steel factories.
Jamshedpur FC -: Jamshedpur FC is a football club based in Jamshedpur. They play in the Indian Super League (ISL), which is a professional football league in India.
XLRI Auditorium -: XLRI Auditorium is a large hall in XLRI (Xavier School of Management), a famous business school in Jamshedpur.
Hafizul Hassan -: Hafizul Hassan is a special guest at the event. He is a person of importance, possibly a local leader or official.
Lt Gen RC Srikanth -: Lt Gen RC Srikanth is a high-ranking officer in the Indian Army. ‘Lt Gen’ stands for Lieutenant General.
Tata Steel -: Tata Steel is a big company in India that makes steel. It was started by the Tata Group, a large business group in India.
JRD Tata Sports Complex -: JRD Tata Sports Complex is a big stadium in Jamshedpur where sports events are held. It is named after JRD Tata, a famous Indian industrialist.
Bangladesh Armed Forces FT -: Bangladesh Armed Forces FT is a football team from Bangladesh. ‘FT’ stands for Football Team.
Sony Sports Network -: Sony Sports Network is a TV channel in India that shows sports events live. You can watch football matches and other sports on this channel.
