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

Debrief
Durand Football
In 1947, when the newly formed states of India and Pakistan
were duelling to define the international borders as per
their own designs, many more prized possessions of British
India were also in the midst of the tussle. One such trophy
that was being fought for with no less zeal was the Durand Cup
Football. It was perhaps the fact of Durand having originated
in Shimla that the Indians won in the play off. The trophy has
since been played every year, barring a few breaks, to become
the blue riband of Indian football. Durand is the oldest Asian
football tournament and the third oldest in the word, preceded
only by the English FA-Cup and the Scottish FA-Cup. The
cup was started by Sir Durand, in 1888, then India’s Foreign
Secretary, for British troops stationed in Shimla. Durand’s
birth in a military module entailed its remaining a purely army
affair till 1939 as an inter – regiment championship. Durand’s
history has been influenced by events that shook the world in
the twentieth century. The conduct of the tournament suffered
disruption during World War I from 1914 - 1919. In 1940, the
venue was shifted to Delhi and for the first time football clubs
were allowed to participate. However, with the war clouds of
World War II gathering, the tournament witnessed another
eclipse, starting 1941.
The next edition had to wait, past the end of World War II, and
till we won our independence. It was only after ownership of
the cup between India and Pakistan was decided that the
tournament was revived in 1949. The cup has been played since
then, without a break, though of course the 1971 War led to
delayed conduct of the tournament by a couple of months to
February, 1972. The army conducts the tournament, no longer
at Shimla, but at Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi under the aegis
of All India Football Association. The centenary celebration
of the cup in 1987 heralded the concept of prize money in
Indian Football. The last edition – the 123rd – was played out
from 17 October 2010 to 07 November 2010 with Chirag United
SC emerging as winners. The Durand trophy is also unique.
The winners carry home three trophies. Of the three, while
the Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy are rolling trophies that
come back for the awards ceremony annually, the President’s
Cup, first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, remains with the
winning team as a permanent souvenir. For decades, Durand,
along with Rovers and IFA shield, has been the mainstay of
competitive Indian football, National Football League (NFL)
Brig (retd) S K Chatterji is a former artillery
officer. He is a well known commentator on defence
issues. skchatts@hotmail.com
in 1997 and the Indian Professional League (I-League) which
commenced in November 2007, the Indian Football calendar has
become very busy, leading to a curtailed Durand Tournament,
which otherwise was a month long football festival.
The Durand Football Tournament Society also boasts a galaxy
of service officers and bureaucrats. Before independence the
committee was headed by the Viceroy. All three services chiefs
are at the apex, with Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee,
currently Air Chief Marshal P V Naik PVSM VSM ADC, being the
President. The committee includes the Chief Secretary of NCT
of Delhi, as also the Commissioner of Police. In the Organising
Committee, the man who actually leads the team in hosting
the tournament is the General Officer Commanding Delhi Area,
currently Major General Manvender Singh. He is aided by the
Centre Commandant Rajputana Rifles and officers of Delhi
Area. The Physical Training Officer of the Centre, currently Lt
Col (Dr) MS Gill, the Honorary Secretary General of the Durand
Committee, also plays a pivotal role. Durand’s winners include
the best clubs in our country. The initial honours naturally
went to Army teams and British regiments at that, but as the
tournament opened up it became a symbol of superiority in the
national football circuit and the best of teams are to be found
in the roll of honours. The record of winning the trophy the
maximum number of times is shared by India’s primer clubs
Mohan Bagan and East Bengal. Both have carried the trophy
home 16 times each. They are followed by Border Security Force
seven times and JCT on five occasions. Mohameddan Sporting
Club, Kolkata was the first Indian non-military team to have
won the tournament in 1940, after the gates were opened for
football clubs to participate.
The services and sports have always been synonymous. Our
armed forces lead the field in equestrian sports, boxing, rowing,
shooting, and have produced excellent sportsmen in many
other disciplines. However, running a blue riband tournament
is not what they have been at. Durand is a singular exception.
The vision of Major General Manvender Singh is, “… to expand
the Durand tournament and give it an international flavor,
invite teams from abroad to participate. Initially … get Army
teams from abroad to participate…”
Hopefully, the vision will witness fruition soon.
purple beret July 2011 29