1. The Durand Football Tournament was started at Shimla in the yr 1888 by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was then, the Foreign Secretary to Govt of India. Durand is the third oldest football tournament in the world and oldest in Asia and India. The original tournament committee had the Political Secy as ex-officio President and the local military officer as Hony Secy. Their Excellencies the Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief were the Patron-in-Chief and Vice Patron-in-Chief respectively.
2. The Tournament is also unique wherein the winning team walks away with three trophies. The Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy are Rolling Trophies while The President’s Cup first presented by Dr. Rajender Prasad is given to the team permanently.
3. The tournament was suspended in 1914 due to World War-I and was revived in the year 1921 and continued as an All India Inter Regt Football Competition till 1939 at Shimla. In 1940 the Durand Committee decided to hold the tournament at Delhi. In the same year, civil teams were also given permission to participate. That year Mohammedan Sporting Club won the tournament to record the first ever victory of a civilian team and lifted the coveted trophy. With the outbreak of World War-II, the Durand Committee decided to suspend the tournament during the period of war.
4. Post independence in 1947, there was a heavy pressure to shift the tournament to Lahore as it was claimed by Pakistan. The three Service Chiefs and Sh. H.M. Patel, ICS, Defence Secy intervened successfully and resisted the move. It was at their behest that the tournament was re-started in Delhi in the yr 1950. Traditionally HQ Delhi Area has the privilege to organize and conduct this historic tournament every year. This has been done successfully by the formation ever since.
5. Sh. H.M. Patel, ICS, Defence Secy, the first President of the Tournament Committee, advised that the tournament should be registered under the Societies Act so that the tournament was not claimed by any other organization. It was also stipulated in the constitution that the Durand Football Tournament Society would be headed by three Service Chiefs.
6. The main aim of Durand is to promote football in the country by conducting Durand Football Tournament annually. The tournament is open to all club teams in the country and conducted under the aegis of All India Football Federation. Durand Tournament emerged as the most prestigious tournament in the country alongwith IFA Shield of Calcutta and Rovers Football Tournament of Mumbai. Amongst these tournaments, Durand Cup has maintained its original character, vision and prestige. The support of the AIFF, Sports Ministry Govt of India and the three Services has been most forthcoming.
7. The tournament is conducted in two phases i.e. Knockout and Quarter Final Phase. Currently, 16 teams participate in Knockout Phase. National I-League Teams are seeded directly in this Round and Services Football Champion is also seeded directly to Quarter Final round. The tournament is conducted over eighteen days.
8. The 128th Edition of Durand Cup was conducted at Delhi from 28 Aug to 11 Sep 2016. The finals were graced by Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC, Chairman COSC and President DFTS. The winner of 128th Edition was Army Green which was decided in the “Sudden Death” Penalty shootout with the score 6-5. The 129Th Edition is planned at Kolkata under Eastern Army Command from 01 Sep to 20 Sep 2018.
9. Durand Football Tournament Society has taken a transformative approach to better the conduct of the Tournament. While the vision and format would generally remain same, long term strategies are being put in place to increase prize money and media coverage and uplift the brand image of the Durand.
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