KOLKATA: The Durand Cup, World’s third oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament , returns after a short gap of three years to entertain the football lovers of the Nation. The prestigious tournament was first held in 1888, at Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh) and is named after Mortimer Durand, who was the then Foreign Secretary in charge of India.
The tournament that began as an Army Cup, was a conscious way to maintain health and fitness initially among the British troops but later opened to civilians and currently is one of the leading sporting event. Royal Scouts Fusiliers won the inaugural edition of the Durand Cup way back in 1888. Mohammedan Sporting Club was the first Indian club to win the cup, in 1940, when the tournament shifted to Delhi. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of the Durand Cup, winning it on sixteen occasions each. The “Army Greens” are the current defending champions, winning the last tournament played in 2016.
The winning team is presented with three trophies i.e. The President’s Cup (first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India), the Durand Cup (the original challenge prize, which is a rolling trophy) and the Shimla Trophy (first presented by citizens of Shimla in 1904 and since 1965, a rolling trophy).
Under the patronage of the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and the three service Chiefs from Army, Navy and Air Force, dynamic support of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms Mamta Banerjee and able guidance of Lt Gen MM Naravane, PVSM,AVSM,SM,VSM, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, the 129th edition of the cup is being organized. Department of Youth Services and Sports, Government of West Bengal under stewardship of Hon’ble Minister Shri Aroop Biswas, AIFF (All India Football Federation) and IFA (West Bengal) are extending extensive support to make this tournament a success.
The tournament has been shifted from its homeland Delhi to Kolkata, the “Mecca of Football”, for this edition. The “City of Joy” will host the three week long tournament, scheduled between 02 to 24 Aug 2019, with matches being played at various venues in and around Kolkata. Sixteen participating teams from across the country, including four teams from the Services, are set to bring out the competitive and true sportsman spirit to win the coveted trophies.
