Darjeeling, Oct. 31: The biggest sporting extravaganza of the Darjeeling hills, the All India Brigade of Gurkha Gold Cup which was revived after 25 years in 2010, will make its debut in Kalimpong this year with the town set to host two matches.
Fourteen teams from India, Bhutan and Nepal will take part in the tournament that is organised jointly by the district administration and the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Sports Association.
“The tournament will kick off on November 4 at the St Joseph’s College (North Point) ground (in Darjeeling) and the finals will be played on November 13,” said Saumitra Mohan, the district magistrate of Darjeeling and president of the tournament’s organising committee.
Two matches of the tournament will be played at the Kalimpong Mela Grounds. “The matches in Kalimpong will be organised in collaboration with the Kalimpong Sports Association on November 5 and 6. However, matches will be held in Darjeeling also on these two days simultaneously,” said Dawa Lama, the vice-president of the organising committee.
Apart from well known Indian teams like Pune FC, Tata Football Academy, Jamshedpur and Bhaichung Bhutia’s Sikkim United Club, defending champions Army XI from Calcutta, will vie along with one of Nepal’s top team, Three Star Club, and Bhutan’s Bhutan Clearing Football Club to lift the trophy. Seven Calcutta-based teams like B.N.R. Club, Southern Samity and Techno Aryan have also confirmed their participation in the tournament.
The inaugural match will be played between Darjeeling XI and Kalighat Milan Samity. Sports Authority of India (Darjeeling) will take on Tata Football Academy in the second match on the opening day. Football, which is clearly the most popular sports in the hills, is expected to receive a major boost from the tournament to be organised with a budget of Rs 54 lakh.
Ticket prices have been kept at Rs 100, 40 and 20 per day. Winners will walk away with a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1.3 lakh while the runners-up will take home Rs 70,000.
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