The Nagpur District Football Association is hosting the Maharashtra State Inter-District Football Tournament from January 29, with 34 teams participating under Western India Football Association (WIFA) guidance. NDFA President Haresh Vora announced that teams from all 34 districts across the state will partake in this competition, marking the second time in nearly three decades that the city has been selected as the tournament venue. The competition, conducted on a knockout basis, will see the direct advancement for last year’s champion Nagpur, runner-up Mumbai, and semi-finalists Pune and Kolhapur to the quarterfinals.
Matches, confirmed by NDFA Secretary Iqbal Kashmir, will be held at NDFA and South East Central Railway grounds, featuring eight daily matches (4-4 on both grounds till January 31. Quarterfinals are set for February 1, semis on February 3, and the final on February 5, with a winner’s prize of Rs. 231,000 and Rs. 21,000 for the runner-up. Accommodations for out-of-town players are arranged at Haj House, Central Avenue area.
