Durand Cup

Durand Cup
Organising bodyDurand Football Tournament Society
and AIFF
Founded1888; 136 years ago (1888)[1]
RegionIndia
Number of teams24
Current championsNorthEast United (1st title)
Most successful team(s)Mohun Bagan SG (17 titles)
Television broadcastersSony Sports
SonyLIV (online streaming)
MottoA Saga of Enduring Glory
Many Champions. One Legacy.
The quest for a lasting legacy
WebsiteOfficial website
DFTS website
2024 Durand Cup

The Durand Cup (also called the IndianOil Durand Cup Powered by Coal India Limited for sponsorship reasons) is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.[2][3] Hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the tournament is the oldest existing club football tournament in Asia and the fifth[a] oldest national football competition in the world.[4][5][6] The tournament currently serves as the curtain raiser for every Indian football season. It is open for any national club of any divisions, with guest invitee teams from different sections of the Indian Armed Forces, keeping the century long tradition intact.[7][8][9]

Since the inception of the Federation Cup, it became merely an exhibition tournament with invitational participations. However, from 2022 all the Indian Super League and majority of the I-League clubs participate making it open to all clubs across all divisions in India along guest invite teams. The tournament indicates the beginning of an Indian football season across all divisions. It currently hold the status of Football League Cup similar to Carabao EFL Cup in England and not Premier Domestic Cup status which belongs to AIFF Super Cup.[10][11]

The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the foreign secretary of India from 1884 to 1894. It was first began as a football tournament for different departments and regiments of Armed forces of India and the princely states.[12] Since independence, the army's presence is maintained by the participation of several clubs of different regiments Indian Armed Forces as guest invitees.[13] Army Green became the latest Army team to win the competition in 2016.[14]

  1. ^ "History in Timeline of Indian Football". All India Football Federation. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  2. ^ "The passage of football in India". ifawb.org. Kolkata: Indian Football Association. Archived from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  3. ^ "The Durand Cup – About". durandcup.in. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Durand Cup 2021: Kerala Blasters will make their debut in India's oldest football competition". thebridge.in. 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  5. ^ Hassan, Mehedi (1 August 2018). "ভারত যেদিন নেমেছিল খালি পায়ে... [The day India landed barefoot ...]". www.prothomalo.com (in Bengali). Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  6. ^ Majumdar, Rounak (22 April 2019). "The Golden Years of Indian Football". www.chaseyoursport.com. Kolkata: Chase Your Sport. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Football: Durand Cup makes a comeback, after 3 years". The Week. Archived from the original on 30 July 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Top 10 moments in Durand Cup history". Khel Now. 27 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Mohun Bagan Trophy room". themohunbaganac.com. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Durand Cup to kick start Indian football season". The Hindu. 23 August 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Durand Cup back after three years, tickets priced from Rs 20". 18 July 2019. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Durand Cup returns after Covid-19 break, Kolkata to host 16 teams in September". The Indian Express. 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  13. ^ "2021 Durand Cup: When does it start, teams involved & everything you need to know | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  14. ^ "neroca fc: Army Green beat Neroca FC to win Durand Cup | Football News - Times of India". The Times of India. 11 September 2016. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2021.


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