The winners of 133rd Durand Cup, NorthEast United FC brought the Durand Cup Trophy to Meghalaya on Thursday. The NorthEast United FC, with support from the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, Meghalaya Football Association and Meghalaya Tourism organised the Open Training & Media Day of the team in Shillong.
Congratulating the team,Chief Minister of Meghalaya,Conrad K Sangma stated,“You must have seen the kind of passion that the youth and people have for football; therefore, we really look forward to the future, to a lot of positive outcomes with the Indian Super League and the NorthEast United FC partnering with us in our state. It is not just about the games but the larger impact that we will see especially for people who love football and our youngsters who we would like to see one day wearing that jersey and representing the country at the top level.” Stating that NorthEast United FC coming together with other clubs will turn Meghalaya into an important hub for football, and with the setting up of the football academy, football will be given the boost it needs. “We are also coming up with a lot of programs at the grassroots level for picking up talent at a young age and promote them,” he said.
Football fans from across different age groups including school students were given the opportunity to meet and interact with the NorthEast United FC players.
The event also featured a press conference which was attended by Mandar Tamhane, CEO, NorthEast United FC, Juan Pedro Benali, Head Coach, NorthEast United FC, while players who attended were Redeem Tlang, Michel Zabaco and Parthib Gogoi.
Juan Pedro Benali, Head Coach, NorthEast United FC said that they have taken a lot from Shillong, and they feel that they belong to this place. He stated that the team is growing, and the objective is to have a strong team and become champions, and also urged to support the young ones, to be patient and support and not only criticize.
“Durand Cup helped us a lot to understand ourselves, to know that we should keep working and start growing and not repeat mistakes. We want to be an example for all the youths, to be the aim for any young one, with players who are hardworking, representing the eight North East states, that will make the youth to also want to shine.”
Mandar Tamhane, CEO, NorthEast United FC expressed his gratitude to the fans and stated that they prompted the club to come back here and engage with them. He also mentioned that the club is also ensuring to create player pathways for players from all the eight states and are currently scouting for their U-17 and Reserved Team from 6 of the 8 states, out of which 23 players are already part of the teams. He also hoped that along with the government’s support, Shillong should be able to host the Indian Super League matches soon, while also stating that Shillong has the potential to become the next capital for football.
Speaking on the NorthEast United FC Academy, he said that land has already been allocated which should be handed over by the beginning of 2025, and construction will take approximately 2 years’ time. The recee that was conducted during the Durand Cup 2024 found that the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium’s infrastructure is suitable for ISL games with a few minor structural changes.
Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister and Isawanda Laloo, IAS, Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Affairs graced the occasion. Juan Pedro Benali, Head Coach, NorthEast United FC, Mandar Tamhane, CEO, NorthEast United FC, players and others were also present.
