Durand Cup History | Know the Winner List and Runners-up

Durand Cup: The Durand Cup, initiated by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand in 1888 in Shimla, aimed to boost well-being through sports, initially for Indian Armed Forces. It’s now the world’s third-oldest football event and Asia’s first.

Durand Cup Overview

Durand Cup History | Durand Football Origin and Legacy

The Durand Football Tournament, also known as the Durand Cup, was established in 1888 in Shimla.

Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who served as the Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1894, took the initiative to inaugurate the Durand Cup.

During his stay in Shimla, primarily driven by health-related considerations, Sir Henry keenly recognized the potential of sports in enhancing physical well-being. This perception motivated him to institute an award aimed at fostering sports competitions across India.

In its initial stages, the tournament was structured as an inter-departmental and inter-regimental competition, specifically tailored for the Indian Armed Forces.

The Durand Cup holds the distinction of being the world’s third-oldest football tournament and the oldest in Asia and India.

Durand Cup Pre-Independence | British Raj Era

The Durand tournament initially focused on military participants, including the British Armed Forces, the Indian Army, and other armed units like frontier-security regiments and volunteer reserve regiments.

The matches were held near Shimla, in a place called Dagshai. The first tournament had Scottish teams competing, and the Royal Scots Fusiliers won with a score of 2–1 against the Highland Light Infantry, putting their name on the trophy.

A predecessor of the Durand Cup was played in 1887, involving only government and civil service teams from Simla. Sir Mortimer Durand was the captain of the runners-up.

During the span of 1914 to 1919, the tournament experienced a hiatus due to the disruptions of World War I. Its revival took place in 1920 as the All India Inter Regiment Football Competition in Shimla, continuing its tournament course until 1938. Unfortunately, the 1939 edition was called off due to the outbreak of World War II.

Amidst World War II challenges in 1940, the Durand Committee moved the tournament to Delhi, allowing non-military teams for the first time. In that same year, the Mohammedan Sporting Club secured victory, earning the distinction of being the first civilian team to claim the title at the Irwin Amphitheater.

The period from 1941 to 1947 saw another interruption in the tournament due to the ongoing World War II and the Partition of India.

Durand Cup Post-Independence | After Partition of India

After India became Independent in 1947, the Durand Cup faced an important decision. Pakistan proposed moving the tournament to Lahore, creating a lot of pressure for this shift. However, strategic intervention by the three Service Chiefs and Sh. H.M. Patel, ICS, Defense Secretary, effectively countered this idea. Instead, they advocated for the tournament to continue in Delhi and opened for civilian clubs and teams. Consequently, the event regained its energy and began anew in 1950. Emerging in the year 1950 post-independence, the tournament’s journey witnessed a replayed final where Hyderabad City Police secured victory over Mohun Bagan AC with a score of 1–0.

In 1962, a distinct pause emerged in the tournament due to the Sino-Indian War, followed by a resumption in 1963.

In 2006, Osian’s became the first non-military group to help organize the Durand Cup together with DFTS. This partnership lasted until 2010 and was meant to make the tournament more exciting and bring back people’s interest in the game.

In the year 2020, the tournament once again experienced an unprecedented halt due to the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, following the challenging year of 2020 marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, a cooperative initiative between the Armed Forces and the Government of West Bengal resulted in a joint hosting arrangement in West Bengal, with the intention to sustain this collaboration until 2025.

Initiated in 2022, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) implemented a directive mandating the participation of all Indian Super League (ISL) clubs in the Durand Cup. This mandate ensured the completion of a minimum of 27 domestic matches, thereby securing eligibility for AFC qualification. As a result of this strategic decision, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) accorded official recognition to the Durand Cup, designating it as one of India’s cup tournaments.

As a result, during the 131st edition of the tournament for the very first time, all the ISL clubs took part in the competition. They were joined by five I-League clubs that were invited, and the usual armed forces teams.

Durand Cup Trophies

What makes the Durand Cup special is that the team that wins gets three trophies. These are:

1. The Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize) 
2. The Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy and first given by the residents of Shimla in 1904)
3. The President’s Cup (for permanent keep and first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, in 1956)

Durand Cup Competition Format

Despite the competition’s early format remains less documented, the current Durand Cup competition format consists of two phases: group stage round and knockouts.

Starting from 2022, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) mandated the participation of all Indian Super League (ISL) clubs, alongside with five invited I-League clubs and the customary armed forces teams. These teams compete in the group stage round.

Following the group stage round, the top teams from each group progress to the knockout stage, heading to a final match where two teams contend for victory.

Durand Cup Results 1888-2022

Related articles,

1. Durand Cup fixtures 2023
2. Durand Cup 2023

FAQs