Kerala Blasters have announced that they will be participating in the 130th edition of the Durand Cup 2021. The team will make its debut in Asia’s oldest football tournament, the competition will be played between September 5 and October 3, 2021, in Kolkata.
The renowned football tournament is an initiative of the Indian Army which commenced in the year 1888 and is hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS). The winner of the prestigious Durand Cup receives three unique trophies: The President’s Cup, The Durand Cup and The Shimla Trophy.
Mohun Bagan Club Ground, Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) and Kalyani Municipal Stadium Ground are the venues identified for the iconic tournament in Kolkata.
Ivan Vukomanović, Head Coach of KBFC, said, “We are very pleased to participate in this year’s Durand Cup. Hope that we will have good games ahead as it is very important to play games in this part of the pre-season. The tournament format could be an extra motivation for our players because we like to compete.“
Kerala Blasters are yet to lay their hands on the Indian Super League trophy, they managed to reach the finals on two occasions but couldn’t emerge victorious in the final stage of the competition.
The first-ever champions of the coveted Durand Cup were Gokulam Kerala. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have won the tournament 16 times each.