The President of India, Droupadi Murmu unveiled the trophies of the Durand Cup Tournament 2024 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre on July 10. The trophies unveiled include the Durand Cup, the President’s Cup, and Shimla Trophy.
The Durand Cup is India’s oldest domestic football competition, established in 1888 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Organized by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), it is Asia’s oldest club football tournament and the world’s fifth-oldest national football contest. Today, it kicks off each Indian football season, welcoming national clubs from all divisions alongside guest invitee teams from various branches of the Indian Armed Forces.
Initially conceived by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, India’s Foreign Secretary from 1884 to 1894, the tournament began as a platform for football among different departments and regiments of the Indian Armed Forces and princely states. After independence, it continued this tradition, featuring clubs representing various Armed Forces regiments as guest invitees. Recently, the competition expanded significantly, including participation from all Indian Super League clubs and most I-League clubs starting from 2022. In 2016, Army Green became the latest Armed Forces team to claim victory in the tournament, adding to its rich history.
Unlike any other competition around the world, the winning team is presented with three trophies – the Durand Cup, Shimla Trophy, and President’s Cup.
Durand Cup (nicknamed The Masterpiece) is the original tournament trophy which became a rolling trophy since 1965.
Shimla Trophy (nicknamed The Artistry) was donated by the residents of Shimla in 1904 to show their passion and support for the tournament, the trophy began to be awarded in rolling since 1965.
President’s Cup (nicknamed The Pride) is a rolling trophy that replaced the Viceroy’s Trophy post-independence by the President of India Dr Rajendra Prasad.
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