Guwahati: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh along with the Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande will arrive in Manipur capital Imphal on Thursday in order to attend the first-ever Manipur edition of the 131st Durand Cup.
Informing the news on twitter on Wednesday, Rajnath Singh wrote, “Tomorrow, 18th August, I shall be visiting Bagdogra and Imphal. I shall be paying my respects to the Armed Forces personnel who lost their lives due to a landslide in June. Also, I shall be attending the opening ceremony of Durand Cup-2022 in Imphal. Looking forward to it.”
The Khuman Lampak Main Stadium in Imphal will host the 10 historic Durand Cup league games from August 18 to September 5.
The defence minister and army chief will arrive in Imphal under tight security arrangements. New traffic regulations have also been announced in and around the stadium.
The official opening ceremony of the football competition is scheduled to begin at around 5 o’clock with a live performance by Papon, a well-liked local singer, and Guru Rewben Mashangva, a Manipur-born folk artist.
Meanwhile, the state government has also proclaimed a half-holiday for all government offices and educational institutions to allow government workers and others to watch the opening game.