Durand Cup
The Durand Cup (also called the IndianOil Durand Cup Powered by Coal India Limited for sponsorship reasons) is an annual domestic football competition in India which was first held in 1888 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Hosted by the Durand Football Tournament Society (DFTS) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the tournament is the oldest existing club football tournament in Asia and the fifth oldest national football competition in the world. The tournament currently serves as the curtain raiser for every new Indian football season. It is open for any national club of any divisions, with guest invitee teams from different sections of the Indian Armed Forces.
| Organising body | Durand Football Tournament Society and AIFF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1888 |
| Region | India |
| Number of teams | 24 |
| Current champions | Mohun Bagan (17th title) |
| Most successful team(s) | Mohun Bagan (17 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | Sony Sports SonyLIV (online streaming) |
| Motto | A Saga of Enduring Glory Many Champions. One Legacy. The quest for a lasting legacy |
| Website | Official website DFTS website |
| 2023 Durand Cup | |
Since the inception of the Federation Cup, it became merely an exhibition tournament with invitational participations. However, from 2022 all the Indian Super League and majority of the I-League clubs participate.
The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the foreign secretary of India from 1884 to 1894. It was first began as a football tournament for different departments and regiments of Armed forces of India and the princely states. Since independence, the army's presence is maintained by the participation of several clubs of different regiments Indian Armed Forces as guest invitees. Army Green became the latest Army team to win the competition in 2016.