New Delhi: Durand Cup, the third oldest soccer tournament and in Asia, is ready to return after hiatu a year due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Sixteen teams from all over the country, including four of the Indian Armed Forces, will Vie for the upper appreciation in and around Kolkata for four weeks from September 5 to October 3.
The 130 edition of Durand Cup is being arranged with the support of the Indian Football Federation (AIFF) , Ifa (West Bengal) and the West Bengal government.
Named after Mortimer Durand, Indian British Foreign Minister from 1884 to 1894, the prestigious tournament was first held in 1888 at Annadale at Shimla.
The tournament is a conscious way to initially maintain health and fitness among British troops which are then opened for civilians.
Kolkata Giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of the Durand Cup, winning them 16 times.
The winning team was presented with three presidential cups, first presented by Rajendra Prasad, India’s first president, Durand Cup, and the Shimla Cup, was first presented by Shimla residents in 1903 and since 1965, a rolling trophy.
This tournament shifted from Delhi to Kolkata in 2019, which was won by Gokulam Kerala who defeated Mohun Bagan 2-1 in the final.