One month of footballing action came to an end as the 135th Durand Cup, organised by the Indian Armed Forces, reached a glittering conclusion with a grand Closing Ceremony and prize distribution ceremony at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here on Sunday, August 23.
The Closing Ceremony was graced by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri of India, Shri Rajnath Singh, who was the Chief Guest.
The ceremony was also attended by General N. S. Raja Subramani, PVSM AVSM SM VSM, Chief of Defence Staff and President, Durand Football Tournament Society, Dr Indranil Khan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Youth Services & Sports and Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of West Bengal; Shri Tapas Roy, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Government of West Bengal; Lt Gen VM Bhuvana Krishnan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQ, Eastern Command and Patron, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Lt Gen Gambhir Singh, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Eastern Command and Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Maj Gen D K Singh, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding, Bengal Sub Area and Vice Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Maj Gen Rupesh Sehgal VSM, General Officer Commanding, Combat, IBG 122; Dr. Subrata Gupta. IAS (Retd), Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of West Bengal; Shri Kalyan Chaubey, President, All India Football Federation; Shri R. Natrajan, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India; Shri Jisto Nongbri, Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation Limited and Shri Asheesh Kumar, Executive Director, Coal India Limited, along with senior civil and military officials, representatives of participating clubs, sponsors, partners and members of the football fraternity.
PRIZE DISTRIBUTION
The Durand Cup, Simla Trophy and President’s Cup Scroll were presented to East Bengal FC by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh.
Mementos were presented to the Match Officials and Referees in recognition of their contribution to the tournament by Maj Gen D K Singh, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding, Bengal Sub Area and Vice Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee, and Shri Rishabh Bapna, Director, Cherry Tree, Tournament Producer.
The Golden Glove, along with a ₹3 lakh cheque and SUV key, were presented to Vishal Kaith of Mohun Bagan Super Giant by Shri R. Natrajan, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India.
The Golden Boot, along with a ₹3 lakh cheque and SUV key, was presented to Alaaeddine Ajaraie of NorthEast United FC by Shri Jisto Nongbri, Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
The Golden Ball, along with a ₹3 lakh cheque and SUV key, was presented to Edmund Lalrindika of East Bengal FC by Shri Asheesh Kumar, Executive Director, Coal India Limited
The champions, East Bengal FC, were presented with their Gold Medals by Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri; Shri Tapas Roy, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Government of West Bengal; Shri Kalyan Chaubey, President, All India Football Federation; and Shri Jisto Nongbri, Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
The runners-up, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, were presented with their Silver Medals by Lt Gen Gambhir Singh, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, Chief of Staff, HQ, Eastern Command and Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Maj Gen D K Singh, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding, Bengal Sub Area and Vice Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee and Dr. Subrata Gupta. IAS (Retd), Advisor to the Chief Minister, Government of West Bengal.
The Champions Cheque of ₹1.21 crore was presented to East Bengal FC by Dr Indranil Khan, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Youth Services & Sports and Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of West Bengal.
The Runners-up Cheque of ₹60 lakh was presented to Mohun Bagan Super Giant by Lt Gen VM Bhuvana Krishnan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQ, Eastern Command and Patron, Durand Cup Organising Committee.
Ahead of kick-off, the four losing quarter-finalists, Indian Army FT, Jamshedpur FC, Shillong Lajong FC and FC Raengdai, were felicitated with cheques of ₹15 lakh each. The cheques were presented by Lt Gen Gambhir Singh UYSM AVSM YSM, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Eastern Command and Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Maj Gen D K Singh, SM, VSM, General Officer Commanding, Bengal Sub Area and Vice Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee; Maj Gen Rupesh Sehgal VSM, GOC, Combat, IBG 122 and Shri Rishabh Bapna, Director, Cherry Tree.
The two losing semi-finalists, SC Delhi and NorthEast United FC, were then felicitated with cheques of ₹25 lakh each, presented by Lt Gen Gambhir Singh UYSM AVSM YSM, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Eastern Command and Chairman, Durand Cup Organising Committee, and Maj Gen Rupesh Sehgal VSM, GOC, Combat, IBG 122.
The closing ceremony, ahead of kick-off, opened with the arrival of the dignitaries, followed by a cultural presentation celebrating India’s diverse traditions, the heritage of West Bengal and the martial arts traditions of the Indian Army. The cultural programme featured Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Krav Maga and Mallakhamb, followed by a Purulia Chhau presentation showcasing Bengal’s rich folk heritage by Kalipada Chhau Nritya Samity and Jaladhar Chhau Nritya Academy.
The ceremonial programme then moved to the Trophy Drill, highlighting the three trophies awarded to the Durand Cup champions, the Durand Cup, President’s Cup and Simla Trophy. A special Durand Cup Audio-Visual Presentation followed, taking the audience through the tournament’s history and legacy.
The Ball Drill was then conducted, followed by the Flag March, featuring the ceremonial entry of the tournament and fair-play flags onto the Field of Play. The match officials and players subsequently entered the field, before the dignitaries joined the teams for a Meet and Greet and the official group photograph. The teams also posed for photographs with the dignitaries and trophies.
The Closing Ceremony concluded ahead of the Final, with the two finalists then taking the Field of Play for the decisive match of the 135th IndianOil Durand Cup.
At half-time, the Air Warrior Drill Team – Arjan presented a special drill display, featuring a series of precision rifle manoeuvres.
