Durand cup – the oldest football tournament in india

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The Durand Cup is an annual domestic football tournament in India. It was first held in 1888 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, during British rule. The tournament is named after its founder, Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was the foreign secretary of India at the time. The tournament was, in those days, a military affair played between different regiments of the Armed Forces of India and princely states.

After independence, the Army’s presence was replaced by several clubs from different regiments. Army Green became the latest Army team to win the competition in 2016.

Sir Henry had recovered from an illness in Shimla, North India, and realized the importance and value of sport for maintaining health. As a result, the Durand Cup tournament was born. Initially, matches were played in Dagshai, near Shimla. In 1940, the tournament was shifted to New Delhi, but it was suspended due to World War II. The Durand Cup became a part of Indian football history. In post-independent India, Hyderabad City Police became champions, defeating Mohun Bagan 1-0. For the next ten years, the trophy frequently went to East Bengal FC, Mohun Bagan, and the Madras Regimental Centre. Later on, the Border Security Force and FCT FC became dominant forces in the Durand Cup. In 1997, FC Kochin became the first South Indian club to lift the Durand Cup. In 2019, the tournament was organized jointly by the Armed Forces and the Government of West Bengal.

No doubt, the Durand Cup became an integral part of Indian football. However, the standard of Indian football is not improving. India is not qualifying for the World Cup, and its international performance is disappointing. In hockey and cricket, India has maintained a strong standard, but why not in football? Introspection is necessary.

The first reason is the physical standard. In comparison to European countries, Indians are not as physically built, and stamina is much lower. Indian players struggle to play a full 90 minutes with vigor. Stamina is the greatest factor in football. Franz Beckenbauer, the famous German player, once said, “In a game of 90 minutes, one player has to run 8 kilometers in total.” Endurance is crucial.

I remember in our village, our football player friends from the farming community would go to the forest early in the morning, cut and collect wood, and return home by 2 pm. After taking a meal and a little rest, they went straight to the football field to play until evening. Their stamina was remarkable. Such players should be included in the national team.

Another important aspect is strategy or tactics. While playing soccer, one has to use both individual and collective intelligence. For example, one former Dutch player said, “Try to keep the ball always in the opponent’s half. Pressure will increase, and there is every possibility of scoring goals.”

India needs to learn from international standards, and national players should be chosen from rural areas. A good administration will produce a good national football team.

(The views expressed are the writer’s own.)

Radhakanta Seth is an Income tax officer in Sambalpur.  He is a Freelance writer and his articles have been published in some Oriya dailies like Sambad, Samaj, Dharitri and English dailies like The Telegraph and in a sociological journal ‘Folklore’ published from Kolkata.