132nd Durand Cup Inauguration with Vibrant Opening Ceremony

Amlan Biswas

132nd Durand Cup football tournament inauguration at Kolkata. A symbol of India’s football history and culture, the Durand Cup is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament. Organized by the Indian Armed Forces, the Durand Cup has been the breeding ground for India’s best footballing talent, over the years. The inaugural edition happened in Shimla in 1888, when it started off as an Army Cup, open only to the British Indian Army troops in India, but soon opened up to civilian teams. Named after its founder, Sir Mortimer Durand, Foreign Secretary of British India from 1884 to 1889. The iconic tournament reached its 132nd edition in 2023.