Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 25 (ANI): Asia's oldest football tournament, the Durand Cup, will be back with its 134th edition and for the first time in its storied history, be hosted in as many as five states with Manipur's capital Imphal, making a comeback after a two-year gap. The Durand Cup Organising Committee also announced the dates for this year's tournament to be between July 22- August 23, as per a release from Durand Cup Media.

Kokrajhar in Assam will extend their status as Durand Cup hosts for the third consecutive year while Jamshedpur in Jharkhand and Shillong in Meghalaya were added as hosts last year. The century-old tournament shifted its home base to Kolkata - the Mecca of Indian Football, and the capital of West Bengal, from Delhi back in 2019, and, will also continue to hold that status for a sixth consecutive edition.

Since its transition to the East, the Durand Cup has reinstated itself as the country's premier competition, growing from 16 teams to 24 teams, including participation from all the Indian Super League (ISL) teams.

Organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army on behalf of the three Services, the tournament is unique in the sense that it pits Services teams against India's best football clubs and over the past couple of editions, has also seen foreign participation with Army teams from neighbouring nations.

The Indian Army's stated vision of expanding the reach of the historic tournament throughout the East and North-East is also now fully reflected with the choice of host cities this year.

All State Governments and local autonomous bodies have wholeheartedly pledged their support, like always, for the popular tournament which has captured the imagination of the football-loving people of the region.

A total of six venues, two in Kolkata (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan and Kishore Bharti Krirangan) and one each in Imphal (Khuman Lampak stadium), Ranchi (Morhabadi Stadium) or Jamshedpur (JRD Tata Sports Complex), Shillong (Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium) and Kokrajhar (SAI Stadium) have been earmarked for the 134th Durand Cup edition.

North East United FC are the defending champions, having overcome maximum title-holders Mohun Bagan, in a thrilling final last year to get their historic maiden title. (ANI)