10 Things to Know about Asia's oldest Football Tournament Durand Cup
By- Keyur Jain
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Durand Cup started in 1888 and is considered world's third oldest football tournament
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Durand Cup was named after Sir Mortimer Durand, a British Anglo-Indian diplomat and member of the Indian Civil Service
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The tournament began as an Army Cup for British Indian Army troops in India, but it quickly expanded to include civilian teams
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In the early years, the competition was primarily held in Dagshai, a small town near Shimla
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The Durand Committee decided to host the tournament in Delhi in 1940 with civilian teams
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In 1940, Mohammedan Sporting from Kolkata became the first civilian Indian team to win the championship
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Durand Cup is a unique tournament where the champion walks away with three trophies, President's Cup, Durand Cup and Shimla Cup
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President's Cup
This was first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad. The Cup features a circular disc atop the Ashoka Lion Capital
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Durand Cup
The Durand Football Tournament Society established The Durand Cup as a rolling trophy in 1965
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Shimla Cup
By 1903, Shimla residents had become enamoured with the historic tournament. The Shimla trophy was named after a public donation to present another rolling trophy to the winning team
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Madras Regimental Centre was the first Indian armed forces team to lift the title in 1955 defeating Indian Air Force 3-2 in the finals
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The most dominant teams in Durand Cup history are East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, both from Kolkata. They have both won the competition 16 times
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The Durand Cup includes teams from the Indian Super League (ISL), the Indian League (I-League), and the Second Division League
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