Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia, is being revived in a big way as teams from the ISL and I-League will compete for the coveted trophy.
The tournament, which witnessed its last edition in New Delhi three years ago, got a lease of life after the West Bengal government extended its support to the three services – Army, Navy and Air Force – which jointly organise the event.
The 129th edition will have five teams from the ISL – ATK, Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC – and six from the I-League – defending champion Chennai City FC, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Gokulam Kerala FC, Real Kashmir FC and the newly promoted TRAU FC of Manipur.
The four Services teams – Army Red, Army Green, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy – and another popular Kolkata outfit, Mohammedan Sporting (II Division I-League), complete the line-up. With the ISL teams yet to start their pre-season training, the first-team players are likely to stay away.
The tournament, which begins on August 2, will be held on a league-cum-knockout format, with the 16 teams divided into four groups and the group winners progressing to the semifinals. The semifinals and final will be held on August 20 and 24.
