The 132nd edition of Durand Cup kicked off in Kokrajhar, Assam on Saturday. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the grand beginning of the annual football competition for the first time in the Assamese city. The tournament is organised by the Armed Forces and supported by the Government of Assam.
 
Addressing the people at the Sai Stadium, the Raksha Mantri complimented the efforts of the Armed Forces and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) for creating a positive environment in Kokrajhar which resulted in the event being organised in the city for the first time. He commended the people of the Northeast for their excitement and love for football, terming ‘the beautiful game’ as not just a sport, but an emotion.
 
Dignitaries from civil and defence sectors, including Chief of Army Staff General Manaj Pande, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, CEM of BTR Pramod Boro, president of All India Football Federation (AIFF) Kalyan Chaubey, and many others were present at the occasion.
 
The inaugural ceremony was followed by the opening match of the tournament between Bodoland FC and Rajasthan United FC. Kokrajhar will witness eight group matches and one quarter-final to be played on August 24, 2023. A total of 24 teams, including two foreign teams from Nepal and Bangladesh, all three teams of Indian Armed Forces and the local team of Bodoland FC will play at three venues in Kolkata, Guwahati and Kokrajhar during the tournament.