The Durand Cup, now in its 130th season, will begin on September 5th, with teams from all around India competing. The Indian Super League (ISL), the Indian League (I-League), and the Second Division League are all represented.
In addition, as is customary, special teams from the Indian Armed Forces will compete in this tournament. The Durand Cup is Asia’s first and oldest football tournament. In addition, it is the world’s third-oldest competition. So, what makes this tournament so unique? Let’s take a closer look.
The Birth and The Early History
In 1888, the Durand Cup was named after Sir Mortimer Durand, a British Anglo-Indian ambassador. Initially, it was mostly a rivalry between British Indian Army teams. The competition was primarily held in Dagshai, which is a short distance from Shimla, in the early years.
The Durand Cup was relocated to Delhi in 1940 to allow more civil teams to compete. In the same year, Mohammedan Sporting became the first civilian Indian team to win the championship. However, towards the conclusion of the British empire, things began to alter. During World War II and partition, the Durand Cup was halted, but it was resurrected following India’s independence in 1947.
After the Independence
The Durand Cup was held by the Indian Armed Forces after independence, and it was led by the three service chiefs. Since then, Indian teams have dominated the tournament, however, Army teams have had some success as well.
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, both from Kolkata, are the most dominant teams in Durand Cup history. Both have won the competition 16 times and have shown remarkable consistency from the mid-to-late-nineteenth century.
Obviously, they had to deal with some stiff opposition from time to time. In the 1950s, the Hyderabad City Police had some success, while in the 1960s and 1970s, the Gorkha Brigade and the Border Security Force (BSF) also won a few rounds.
In finals, the Red & Gold Brigade won 61.54 percent of the time, while the Mariners won 55.17 percent of the time. When the National Football League (later known as the I-League) debuted alongside the Federation Cup, however, some of India’s greatest clubs began to neglect the Durand Cup.
Fall of Durand Cup in 21st Century
The Durand Cup began to have problems when Indian football began to transform in the twenty-first century. Due to changes in the Indian football calendar in the 2000s, teams began to place less emphasis on the competition.
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, for example, began to face inferior opponents in the competition. As a result, they have only won a total of two Durand Cup tournaments since 2000. Teams like Churchill Brothers and Salgaocar, who placed a greater emphasis on it, began to dominate, as did the other Goan teams.
Restart After a Brief Hiatus
Following the launch of the ISL, interest in tournaments like the Durand Cup began to wane. Due to the overcrowding in Indian football, many major clubs have dropped out of the game entirely. As a result, following the 2016 edition, which was won by Army Green, the Durand Cup was put on hold for a period.
After a brief hiatus, the organizers brought it back in 2019. However, unlike in the past, when it was held in Delhi, the Durand Cup was held in Kolkata. The organizers apparently anticipated a warmer welcome in the football-crazed capital than in Delhi, where the sport is battling to regain its footing.
The Durand Cup’s comeback in 2019 was a success, as the edition received a lot of positive feedback. In front of a sold-out Salt Lake Stadium, I-League team Gokulam Kerala won the title, defeating Mohun Bagan in the final.
The tournament was had to be terminated in 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The tournament is set to return in 2021, and it will once again be held in Kolkata, which appears to be its permanent home.
Future of the Durand Cup
The Durand Cup has essentially become a pre-season tournament in Indian football since its reintroduction in 2019. While the event will acquire notoriety as a result of the participation of ISL teams and other notable names, the fact is that teams will employ their reserves.
The Durand Cup, on the other hand, should continue to grow in popularity as it gains a television broadcaster and sponsors. It is, after all, the country’s oldest competition, and it should not be dismissed lightly.
Because of the declining interest in the tournament, the prestige of winning it has lessened over time. However, as long as the army continues to host it, the Durand should continue to be a competition worth watching every year, at least for traditional football fans in India.
