Have you ever asked, in countries with billions of people like India with a football-loving sports culture, which is the oldest football tournament in India? If you are also curious about the king’s sports history in this country, let’s continue reading the article below.
Which is the oldest football competition in India?
In India, football is a sport that is loved by many fans, who regularly follow every tournament. In India, there are also many football tournaments held regularly from small to large, and the Durand is the oldest football competition in this country. This is a tournament with 130 years of history and is held annually in this country.
Although last year due to the impact of the Covid epidemic, the tournament was not held, this is still the most anticipated season in India. Durand Cup is also the oldest football tournament in the history of Asian football tournaments.
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About Durand Cup
Durand Cup is an annual tournament and there is only one trophy for the winning team throughout the history of the tournament. The team that wins the season will have the opportunity to keep the trophy until the next season is held. In 1965, the Durand Football League Association officially recognized the Durand Cup as a rolling trophy.
Durand Cup is magnificently designed with a flat round base and a golden cup placed on top of the tower. As of the last season, Gokulam Kerala is the defending champion holding this cup.
When did the Durand Cup start?
The Durand Cup with a long history was first held in 1888, in Dagshai by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand. Initially, this football tournament was only in size and accepted the participation of the Indian Army teams that were still a British colony. Later, the Durand Cup was extended to all teams in India. This is also the 3rd oldest tournament in the world.
The Durand Cup is currently organized by the Eastern Command of the Indian Armed Forces and the West Bengal government. In the next 5 years, the Durand Cup will be held in Kolkata. If calculated by region, West Bengal is probably the state with the most football enthusiasts in this country.
Who was the first team to win the Durand Cup?
The first team to win the Durand Cup was the Royal Scots Fusiliers. They won with a tight score of 2 – 1 when playing the final against Highland Light Infantry. This is the first tournament with the participation of Indian and British officers.
Which is the most prolific team in the Durand Cup?
At 130 years old, Durand Cup from an internal tournament has become a national football star selection tournament in India.
Although it is a national tournament, it took more than 52 years for India to host the Durand Cup. Despite being one of the top Indian football teams and the first civilian team to participate in the Durand Cup, Mohun Bagan AC didn’t have a chance to win it until 1953. Instead, Mohammedan SC became the first Indian team to win the cup in 1940, they were also rivals from the same hometown as Mohun Bagan AC.
From 1941 to 1949, the Durand Cup was interrupted by World War II. After 1950, the tournament was re-hosted. In the post-Independence era, East Bengal became the first team to lift the trophy. However, the most successful team in this tournament must mention the Mariners with a record of 3 consecutive seasons of winning the Durand Cup (1963, 1964, 1965 and 1984, 1985, 1986).
Since the 1950s, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have respectively held the league’s record for most goals with 16 goals.
However, the highest winning rate and the most outstanding performance is the team of the Border Security Force with 7 titles and holding 77.78% in the final matches. Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have only a 61.54% win rate.
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With the information that we provided above about the oldest football tournament in India, we will help you better understand the game in this country, as well as know more interesting things about this tournament in history. For more interesting things about football, follow us every day.
