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

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6 July 2011 purple beret
The beacon... Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, PVSM VSM ADC, President of the Durand Football Society in an interview with Atul bhardwaj, editor Purple Beret comments on the legacy of inter-relationship between the armed forces and sports in general and football in particular as well as the bright future of football The Durand Cup Football is the oldest tournament in the country, how has it helped to awaken the football spirit in the country? Durand Cup is not only the oldest football tournament in the country but entire Asia and it is the third oldest football tournament in the world. A number of Indian and Asian teams compete for the coveted trophy. The tournament has a lot of mass appeal and enjoys emotional attachment with old and famous clubs. Two of India’s premier football clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, have qualified for the finals 25 times each and have won the Durand Cup 16 times each. Most of the players are of Indian origin, though lately many teams have foreign players also in their ranks. This is an indication of the growing popularity of the tournament, both in India and abroad. The Durand Cup remains an important event in the football calendar every year and has tremendously contributed to the football spirit in the country. How has the direct association of the armed forces with this prestigious tournament helped the tournament sustain itself over the years? Armed Forces have the tradition of sustaining themselves against all odds. Similarly, the Durand Cup has continued since 1888, under the patronage of the defence forces. The tournament was only suspended twice during World War I and II for obvious reasons. Otherwise the rich legacy of this exalted tournament still lives on and the armed forces have a special attachment to this tournament. The armed forces are committed to promoting sporting events that encourage camaraderie, esprit-de- corps and sportsmanship. In a country where cricket is almost a religion do you think it is difficult for football to grow in such an environment? Cricket is a religion in our country but at the same time other sports are getting popular by the day. Every sporting event has its own charm and followers. I am sure that our country has a lot of scope to absorb various games and football is one of the more popular ones. In fact, India is being termed as a football sleeping giant. We are realising the immense potential that we have in terms of talent in our country. With improvement in sports infrastructure, availability of professional coaching and adequate sponsorship, I am sure football standards are bound to improve in our country. What should be done at the national level to promote other sports and especially, football that has a potential following in the country. To promote football we need to bring in more players from the grassroot levels, develop required infrastructure and ensure greater involvement from the Government and corporates to support the cause. Establishing of Sports Academies in each state will be a beneficial step. We also need to concentrate upon having a scientific approach to training our players. They would also need good medical support. After all, training by good coaches, physiologists, psychologists and fitness specialists is the order of the day. While, some steps have been initiated, the requirement is to increase the penetration of trained staff at all levels. The Indian Air Force has contributed towards this cause by conducting and managing the Subroto Cup Football tournament and sponsoring deserving talent. What are the important features of the Durand Cup this year? This year, the Durand Cup is scheduled from mid-September to mid-October. The tournament organisers are trying a transformative approach as far as the format of the tournament is concerned. We are pursuing a strategy of aggressive marketing this time by increasing the prize money and providing the tournament greater media coverage. We hope that these measures will bring in new dynamism to this tournament and it will increase the popularity of football in our country. purple beret July 2011 7
Page 1 and 2: www.purpleberet.com July 2011 Vol.
Page 3 and 4: start up Editorial The 2009 leaders
Page 5: the coveted trophy Durand is the th
Page 9 and 10: Lastly, we had to evolve a system t
Page 11 and 12: What are the future plans to take D
Page 13 and 14: The legacy A Purple Beret Story The
Page 15 and 16: me. They got a penalty award toward
Page 17 and 18: The IAF football team in 1948. Seat
Page 19 and 20: Winners Years Winners Runners-Up 19
Page 21 and 22: heroes The memorable Gorkha Brigade
Page 23 and 24: The Madras Regiment Football team
Page 25 and 26: the Gorkha Brigade team for many se
Page 27 and 28: has the Army XI entered the Durand
Page 29 and 30: Debrief Durand Football In 1947, wh
Page 31 and 32: Theories abound on this trend. L. I
Page 33 and 34: article pertains to sports infrastr
Page 35 and 36: football tournament in India (third
Page 37 and 38: Period Activities Purpose First wee
Page 39 and 40: though he felt a bit uncomfortable.
Page 41 and 42: Roll on Football on screen By Khurs
Page 44: RNI No.: DELENG/2010/33162 POSTAL N

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

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