■ By Paritosh Pramanik :
NAGPUR footballers’ talent
is being recognised in the
country.
If Asheer Akhtar has been
retained by NorthEast United
for another year and will be
playing the Durand Cup, two
other footballers from the
Orange City, in all probability, will be seen playing India’s
oldest and prestigious football tournament, this season.
Apart from Asheer, who will
be donning NorthEast United
jersey, Vasu Kanojiya and
Rashid Ansari, will be representing Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF) football team in this edition’s
Durand Cup starting July 27.
“The CISF team has been
invited for Asia’s oldest tournament this season. We have been pitted
against Kerala Blasters FC,
Mumbai City FC and Punjab
FC in Group C and will be
playing our league matches
in Kolkata,” said Vasu
Kanojiya from Delhi.
Asheer’s NorthEast United
are placed in Group E and will
play their matches against
Odisha FC, Bodoland FC and
BSF at Kokrajhar.
“Last year, we lost the semis
but this season we are determined to move a step further,” Asheer confidently told
‘The Hitavada’ from
Guwahati where the team is
preparing for the 133rd edition of the tournament.
Vasu Kanojiya is a former
Rahul Sankrutyayan Club’s
midfielder and has joined
CISF in 2022.
Twice he has
represented Maharashtra
in the Santosh Trophy
National Championship.
“We are ready to take part
in the most prestigious tournament of Asia,” said head
constable Vasu, who has also
led Nagpur University football team in the past.
Rashid, an assistant subinspector in CISF, is a senior
player and has joined CISF
way back in 2015. He played
for Nagpur Football Club
(NFC) in the NDFA Elite
Division leagues.
The midfielder has helped
NFC win the NDFA league
twice in 2010 and 2011.
Durand Cup will feature a
total of 43 matches with
Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s
taking on Downtown Heroes
FC in the opening encounter
at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati
Krirangan in Kolkata.