The Federation Cup, Indian football’s premier knock-out club competition, will be held in Cuttack from May 7 to May 21. The event will feature the top eight teams from the I-League, the All India Football Federation announced in a statement on Thursday. The competition returns to Cuttack after 2010, when East Bengal lifted the trophy.
The competition’s format has been altered from last season, where it was held on a home-and-away basis. The AIFF reverted to the single-venue format to help India prepare for the Asian Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan at home on June 13.
In other developments, former India player Shyam Thapa replaced Bhaichung Bhutia as chairman of the technical committee.