Kolkata, Aug 30 - Kolkata's Mohammedan Sporting and Mumbai's Air India won their group league encounters on the inaugural day of the 114th IFA Shield football tournament here Sunday.

In group B, Sporting rode on an early strike from Dipendu Biswas to prevail 1-0 over Shillong's Lajong FC at the Mohun Bagan ground.

Air India got the better of Pune FC 2-1 in a group D tie at Howrah Municipal Stadium. N.D.Opara and Ravinder Singh found the target for the winners, while Arata Izumi pulled one back for the Pune team.

Dipendu Biswas got the all-important 14th minute goal for Sporting by putting in a pass from Brazilian Edu during an insipid game that saw the city side hamstrung by a non-functional midfield while Lajong looked incohesive.

The only silver lining for Lajong was the display of Michael Bassey, who repeatedly harassed the Sporting defenders.

However, the Kolkata side squandered the easiest of opportunities to forge into the lead in the 67th minute.