Shimla-the birthplace of the Durand Cup and the Indian Air Force ...

2010 to 7 November 2010. The finals was graced by Hon’ble
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr M S Gill. Chirag United
won against JCT Phagwara in a well contested match. The 124th
edition of the Cup will be played in October 2011 at Delhi.
A dramatic match that marked the arrival of Indian football and
broke the British hegemony over the sport was the Durand cup
final in 1940 when Mohammendan Sporting of Calcutta won
a niche in the sport’s ‘Hall of Fame”. They lifted the glittering
Durand Trophy, becoming the first Indian team to achieve the
feat. The tournament which was held at the famous Annandale
in Shimla since its inception in 1988, was shifted to New Delhi
in 1940 in view of the “policy of the Government of India to
retain many of its offices in Delhi”.
Then at their zenith Mohammedan Sporting crushed one
opposition after another to finally take on the powerful
Warwickshire Regiment. It was chance that the Indian team
managed to break the complete British Army monopoly in
the tournament. Jk Bose recalled in his 1967 article, “The
venue of the fight was the Irwin Amphitheatre, which is now
called the National Stadium, New Delhi. It was a battle, as the
nationalist Indians loved to think, between ruled India and
their illegitimate ruler, Britain. The stage
was set with the picturesque Purana
Qila as its backdrop. The crowds were
distinctly divided into Indians on the
one side and British on the other. They
had settled down hours before Captain
Harnam Singh, a former Secretary of the
Durand Committee, whistled for the kickoff.
He was the first Indian to referee a
Durand final.
The match began after what appeared to
be a long wait. Amidst crackers from the
British and full-throated shouts from the
Indians, the Mohammedans, who were
all booted, made piercing attacks and
defended heroically. They retired with
honours even at half-time with the score at
one-all. Excitement mounted high as the
second session began. The clock ticked
by and still there was no score. Would the
golden opportunity for the Indian team
14 July 2011 purple beret
slip? The Indians became restive but not for long. In the 20 th
minute the Calcutta forwards initiated a delectable move and
their slick inside-left Saboo scored the match-winner.
It was an unforgettable sight of joy and jubilation as the referee
blew the long whistle. The Indians were uncontrollable, each
one of them trying to greet their eleven heroes. I cannot
recollect whether Osman, Hafiz, Rashid and Bachi Khan, all
ex-Delhi players, received special cheers. All that I remember
is that along with them Saboo, Noor Mohammad (jr), Jumma
Khan, Rashid, Masoom, AM Hussain, Karim and Rahman
received perhaps the biggest ovation of their lives. Warman,
Harris, Lewis, Wharton and company of the Warwickshire
Regiment surrendered to the might of the Calcutta team who
won all other major soccer trophies except the I.F.A. Shield in
that year.
Mohammedan Sporting’s triumph came after years of glorious
but vain attempts by other teams to break the British monopoly.
It was, however, another Indian side, East Indian Railways
who made the final for the first time in 1927. Assisted by giants
like Samad, Rabi Gan Bhowmick and B. Das the Railway went
down gallantly to the York and Lancashire Regim 2-0.
Young Men of Delhi, who once reached
the semi-final, Sandamoniums of
Quetta, Loco Sh Lahore, Collegians
and a host of other teams were regular
visitors to Shimla. Mohun Bagan had
won the I.F.A. Shield in the epochmaking
1911, began to make their
appearance in the Durand from the
1920’s. Even if they were beaten they
left an indelible impression.
The national feeling was evident every
time an Indian team participated. The
feeling was never greater than the
memorable full tie between Calcutta’s
Aryan Club and Green Howards in 1936.
The footed Aryans, ably guided by their
mentor Chhoney Mazumdar, not only
matched the skill of redoutable rivals
but nearly downed them. The Aryans
were right on top, an eye-witness tells