Shillong, August 2: The Shillong leg of the 133rd Indian Oil Durand Cup was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad Sangma, today, at the JNS stadium.
The ceremony preceeded the first match at the newly renovated Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where the local team Shillong Lajong FC is set to face Nepal’s Tribhuvan Army Football Team.
The event also has in attendanceAir Marshal S P Dharkar, PVSM, AVSM, Air Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Air Command, and Lt. General Ram Chander Tiwari, UYSM, AVSM, SM, GOC-in-Chief, Eastern Command, the deputy chief ministers, cabinet ministers among others
The opening ceremony commenced with MGMP artists performing several songw, followed by a Bhangra and Gatka performance by the 2nd and 13th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment.
Following this, a daredevil Motorcycle Show was performed by soldiers of the Corps of Military Police. The entertainment continued with performances by a Children’s Choir and a dance routine on the song “Badloo Ram Ka Badan” by boys from the Assam Regimental Centre.
The final performance is a Musical Ensemble by over 800 schoolchildren from different schools in Shillong. Chief Minister then met the players ahead of kick-off and symbolically inaugurated the Group F proceedings, all six games of which will be played in Shillong.