Know everything about Durand cup & its glorious past

Whenever we hear the term Durand cup, the 1st thing which comes to our mind is – Durand cup is associated with which sport? Today, we will wipe out all the dust of doubts and queries associated with Durand cup in your mind.

Dispite being India’s oldest and world’s 3rd oldest football tournament, very few know about this tournament and its glorious past. So, let’s have a look at the timeline of Durand cup.

All about Durand Cup

Durand Cup is a popular football tournament played in India. India has a great history when it comes to football, sadly very few know about it. Durand Cup is part of the glorious football history of India. This tournament still has the same importance as it had in the past. Durand Cup is really a testament to India’s love affair with football. This is the oldest football tournament in Asia.

In this blog you will know everything about Durand cup, like Durand cup history, format, trophy, winners, successful teams, and future.

Durand Cup history

The Durand Cup is hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Formally it is known as Durand Football Tournament.

This is the 3rd oldest football competition in the world which took place for the first time way back in 1888 in Shimla. The fascinating fact about it is that the tournament kicked off more than 50 years before independence. That’s awesome! Yes, quite obviously, British personnel Henry Mortimer started this league. For 52 years, the competition took place in Shimla. Later in 1940, the location was changed to Delhi and since 1940, Delhi is the location of conduct of this historical football tournament.

The Durand tournament was initially a military affair, however, over the years, it allowed the participation of professional teams along with the Army teams. Army Green is the last Durand Cup winning Army team. The moment took place in 2016.

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Durand Cup Format

The tournament started in 1888 and obviously, there are no documents stating the competition format during the early years. So there hasn’t been correct information regarding the competition’s format. But as per the history books, the Durand Cup was played in two phases; round-robin and knockouts. The modern era follows the same format.

Teams first go through group stages. At the end of the group stages, the top team from each group qualifies for the knockouts.

Durand Cup Trophy

Why 3 trophies are given to Durand Cup Winners?

The reward of winning a football season or a competition, or in general any sports competition is that the winning team gets a trophy. Well, the Durand Cup is an exception. The winners get a total of three trophies and each one of three has had significance.

Following are the trophies the Durand Cup-winning team receives-

• Durand Cup: the original tournament trophy, which became a rolling trophy since 1965.
• President’s Cup: first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.
• Shimla Trophy: first presented by citizens of Shimla in 1903 and, since 1965 became a rolling trophy.

On a lighter note, a player can argue that they have won three trophies!

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Durand Cup Winners List – 1888 to 2022

The 2022 Durand Cup will be the 131st edition of the tournament. Following is the list of 131 winners of the previous editions. Due to World War I, World War II, India’s partition, and recently due to Covid-19 outbreak, the Durand Cup was not conducted.

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Most Successful teams in Durand Cup

Mohun Bagan AC and East Bengal Club have had a nice rivalry, especially after the independence as English teams were banished from the tournament.

Following is the list of most successful teams in the Durand Cup :- 

How is the Durand Cup faring?

The Durand Cup surely has lost significance in recent years. During the 2005-2010 period, the Osian Art Fund conducted the Durand Cup on a 5-year deal with DFTS. In 2015, 2017, and 2018 the tournament was not conducted without any significant reason. The emergence of ISL as India’s top-flight football tournament has definitely shrunk the importance of the Durand Cup and the Pandemic did affect it adversely.

The money-minded nature of ISL clubs and the glamor involved in it has really taken down the Durand Cup from the position of supremacy. Despite all the obstacles, the 131st Durand Cup will commence on 17th August 2022. Out of 20 participating teams, 11 are ISL teams, 5 are I-League teams and the last 4 are Indian Armed Force teams namely Army Green, Army Red, Indian Air Force, and Indian Navy.

Conclusion

This cricket-dominated nation does have a long and proud football history and it’s the responsibility of all Indian football lovers to show love and support for this tournament. Well, this support will encourage the players to play well and will ultimately lift the performance standards of Indian football. So let’s celebrate and take forward the magnificent history of the Durand Cup.

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