Financial Woes and Ongoing Prevailing Leaves Manipur Football Clubs Out of Durand Cup – News18

In a disappointing turn of events, Manipur’s football clubs, NEROCA FC and TRAU FC, will not be participating in this year’s prestigious Durand Cup. The decision comes as a result of financial difficulties and the ongoing situation in the region.

“This time because of the situation in Manipur teams have not been formed. It requires time for people to prepare and play. So that is the reason that Manipur shall not be participating in the Durand Cup Trophy this year. Hopefully in the next year Manipur shall participate in a big way” said Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command.

Last year, Manipur had the honour of co-hosting the Durand Cup, providing a platform for NEROCA FC and TRAU FC to showcase their talents on a national stage. However, paucity of fund and dearth of sponsors this year has created a void in the football scenario of the state, leaving football enthusiasts in Manipur disappointed.

In the interview with News18.com, M Manimohan highlighted the heavy reliance on sponsorship deals, ticket sales, and contributions from life members to support the clubs’ operations, including player wages, training facilities, and travel expenses. The financial strain has reached a point where NEROCA FC is currently one month overdue in player wages.

The NEROCA FC General Secretary revealed that participating in the Durand Cup would require an approximate expense of Rs. 60 lakh, a cost that the club’s budget cannot accommodate. Manimohan also discussed the contrast between the expenses incurred in previous editions of the Durand Cup. While the 2016 edition cost NEROCA FC around Rs. 20 lakh, the 2022 edition, co-hosted by Manipur, amounted to approximately Rs. 60 lakh.

The absence of Manipur’s clubs in this year’s Durand Cup not only denies them the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in India but also hampers the growth of football in the region. Manipur, known as the “football powerhouse” of India, boasts a rich legacy of producing talented players who have represented the country at various levels.

Football fans in Manipur will undoubtedly miss the excitement and competitiveness that NEROCA FC brought to the Durand Cup. However, there is hope for the future as sponsors emerge, providing potential opportunities for Manipur’s football clubs to regain their rightful place on the national stage and continue inspiring young footballers in the region.

The 132nd edition of the Durand Cup will start on the August 3, to be co-hosted by Guwahati, Kokrajhar and Kolkata. Guwahati will host nine league matches and one quarter final match of the prestigious tournament with Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium being the venue. There shall be northeast derby between locals side NorthEast United FC and debutant Shillong Lajong. Guwahati will be hosting Durand Cup for the second year running.

Durand Cup football tournament, organised by the Indian Army on behalf of the three services, is the only tournament in the country which pitches the three defence services’ teams along with the top teams from different divisions of the Indian football fraternity. Teams form the ISL, I-League and Army teams from Bangladesh and Nepal shall also participate in the tournament marking the foreign participation after a long gap of 27 years.

The finals are scheduled for September 3 in Kolkata.

The three Durand trophies were jointly flagged off for a 15-city tour on June 30, 2023, from Delhi. Udhampur was the third stop on the tour after trophies travelled to Dehradun on Sunday.

Before embarking upon Guwahati, the trophies had already visited the cities of Dehradun, Udhampur, Jaipur, Pune, Mumbai, Karwar, Ezhimala and Kochi. The other cities that the tour will cover include Kokrajhar and Shillong. They will also visit Kathmandu and Dhaka, before flagging into Kolkata the venue of the finals.