As the stage is all set for Manipur to host the 131st edition of the Durand Cup for the first time, exhilaration is in the air and the government has declared Thursday as half-holiday for all government offices, including public service undertakings/ corporations/ autonomous bodies under the government and educational institutions.
According to an order issued by the general administration department, the half-holiday is declared to enable the government employees and others to witness the inaugural match at Khuman Lampak Main Stadium where homegrown clubs NEROCA FC and TRAU FC will go head on head in the Imphal derby.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the tournament in Imphal with an opening ceremony marked by cultural programmes on the theme of national integration.
Noted singers from Assam, Papon, along with Padmashri Guru Rewben Mashangva, will perform the Durand theme song to mark the occasion.
The Imphal derby (Group C matches) will also mark the first time a Durand Cup game will be played in Manipur, otherwise a powerhouse in Indian football.
The evening game of Match day-3 between the two biggest clubs of Manipur, NEROCA FC and Tiddim Road Athletic Union (TRAU) FC is sure to set the Khuman Lampak alight as it always does.
A sea of Orange, the NEROCA colours and Red an Green, the TRAU colours can be expected to further brighten the picturesque venue.
Given the momentous occasion, with Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren himself being a former Durand winner and the passion for the game in the state, one can expect a exhilarating competitive game.
Both teams had finished mid and bottom table in their previous I-League season, with the orange brigade finishing seventh while TRAU finished ninth. However, in a derby game, the two have always fought it out tooth and nail and kept their adoring fans on the edge.
NEROCA though appear stronger on paper with four foreigners bolstering their line-up from defence to attack while TRAU only have the sublime skills of Tajik Komron Tursunov to fall back upon, in an otherwise talented locally assembled squad.
Meanwhile, players of Chennaiyin FC, which will compete with Army Red FT on August 20, arrived in Imphal on Wednesday.
The team members, including their coach and other officials, were accorded a warm welcome with traditional songs and dances at Classic Grande, Imphal.
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Durand Cup 2022: Defending champions FC Goa, MSC gear up for opening
Manipur gears up to co-host Durand Cup
