DEBRIEF

Brig (retd) S K Chatterji is a former artillery officer. He is a well known commentator on defence issues. skchatts@hotmail.com

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) 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.