Asia’s Oldest Football Competition Begins In Shillong

Shillong’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, yet again witnessed history as Meghalaya inaugurated the 134th Indian Oil Durand Cup, 2025. Amidst a dazzling opening ceremony on Saturday, at the newly renovated Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Asia’s oldest Football Tournament kicked off, with a Group E Match between the homegrown Shillong Lajong FC and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA).

Notably, this is the second consecutive year that the Durand Cup has been hosted here in the capital city of Meghalaya. 

Dignitaries gracing the ceremony were Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister; Shakliar Warjri, Minister, Sports and Youth Affairs Department; Kyrmen Shylla, Minster, Revenue & Disaster Management department;  D P Wahlang, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya; and Dr Vijay Kumar D., IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs Department. Army dignitaries included Lt Gen R.C Tiwari, Param Vishisht Seva Medal,  Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishist Seva Medal, Sena Medal, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Command; Air Marshal Surat Singh,  Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, VayuSena Medal , Vishisht Seva Medal , Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Air Command; Lt Gen Sanjay Mallik, Sena Medal , General Officer Commanding 101 Areah; Lt Gen Mohit Malhotra , Ati Vashisht Seva Medal , Sena Medal , Cheif OF Staff Head Quarters Eastern Command; Major General Rajesh Arun Moghe , Vishisht Seva Medal , General Officer Commanding Bengal Sub Area and Major General ,Naveen Thapliyal , Cheif of Staff Head quarters 101 Area among other senior officers from the Armed Forces and Officials from the Government of Meghalaya. 

Ahead of the kick-off, the Chief Minister, along with Sports Minister and other dignitaries, met with the players and symbolically launched the Group E matches, all of which, including the quarter-finals and semi-finals, will be held in Shillong. 

Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister, spoke about the Durand Cup. He said, “We are very happy and extremely proud that Shillong is one of the host cities for the Durand Cup for the second consecutive year.

This is a great moment for us. We thank the Indian Armed Forces for selecting Shillong as one of the host cities and for giving us an opportunity to host the Durand Cup this year once again in Shillong.”

He noted that Shillong is a football-loving city.

The State Government is promoting football at the grassroots level and even at the professional level

The ceremony featured a slew of programmes by the Indian Armed Forces. Captivating performances, including a Kalarippayattu display, a para motors show, and motorcycle stunt performances, leaving the spectators amazed.

Cultural highlights included a rendition by the Army Pipe and Jazz Band and a dance performance to “Badloo Ram Ka Badan” by the team of the Assam Regimental Centre. Renditions from Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP) Artists such as Na U Bnai band, Ahaia Band and singers Deiwitewan Subah and Eniba War performed the famous song ‘Khun U Woh’ which captivated the audience with their performances. 

Asia’s oldest Football Tournament kicked off, with a Group E Match between the Shillong Lajong FC and Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM FA). The homegrown Shillong Lajong FC scored 6 goals, defeating the Mayalsian Armed Forces Team (ATM FA) , that remained goalless.

With the slate of hosting the upcoming 39th National Games in 2027, Meghalaya is poised for a sporting revolution. As part of the Team Meghalaya initiative, a total grant of Rs 39.17 crore was sanctioned to 26 state sports associations and Meghalaya State Olympic Association to support structured training and preparation.

The Government of Meghalaya has introduced various programs and incentives to strengthen its sporting ecosystem. Under the STAR program, 24,500 athletes have been evaluated, while over 10,000 footballers are being trained through Chief Minister’s Mission Football 2.0. Additionally, sports infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,500 crore are underway to develop and upgrade 518 sports facilities by 2028.

Also Read: How Meghalaya Came Together To Defend Its Legacy