Shillong: The spirit of football came alive in the capital city of Shillong as the three magnificent trophies of the 134th IndianOil Durand Cup were proudly showcased at the State Convention Centre. As Meghalaya once again joins the roster of host states, for one of the world’s oldest football tournaments, the trophy roadshow signals not just the start of a celebrated sports event, but a reaffirmation of the State’s bold strides toward becoming India’s next sports destination.
The trophies will be touring the Shillong city, Nongstoin and Tura, allowing the public to have a closer view of the Asia’s oldest trophies before the revered tournament starts. The trophy roadshow kicked off from the venue at the State Convention Centre in the presence of Shri Conrad K Sangma,e Chief Minister; Shri Shakliar Warjri, Sports Minister; 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, officials, and others.
Sangma, , while expressing immense pride in hosting another season of the 5th oldest tournament in the world i.e. the 134th Edition of Durand Cup, stated, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Indian Armed Forces for having selected Shillong also as one of the venues to host the 134th Durand cup. There will be eight matches at the J.N. Sports Complex, Shillong. We had a very successful season last year, where I can proudly say that Shillong was one of the best host, in terms of the feel, the arrangements, and fan turnouts. I can assure you that this year also, it will be the same. We have more local teams participating this time, which makes it more engaging for the fans of Shillong and the people of Meghalaya.”
The Chief Minister said, “The way Government has supported sports in the last seven years, has been very different from what took place before that. In the last 7 years, close to 70% of the sports infrastructure in the state, has been created, and, close to around ₹2000 crore has been invested in different projects pertaining to sports infrastructure.”