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News: The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu unveiled and flagged off the Trophies of the Durand Cup Tournament 2026.

About Durand Cup

The Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia and the fifth oldest national football competition in the world.
It is unique as the only football tournament in India organized and managed solely by the Armed Forces to promote the sport nationwide.
Establishment: It was established in 1888 at Shimla by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, then the Foreign Secretary to British India.
- It was then exclusively open to British Indian Army personnel serving in India.
It is distinguished by its three prestigious trophies: The Durand Cup, The President’s Cup (formerly the Viceroy’s Trophy), and the Shimla Trophy.
- The President’s Cup: It was introduced by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1950.
  - It is awarded permanently to the winning team.
  - It features a circular disc atop the Ashoka Lion Capital.
- The Durand Cup: The Durand Football Tournament Society declared the Durand Cup as a rolling trophy in 1965.
  - It is held by the winner for a year and returned before the next edition.
- The Shimla Trophy: It was donated by the citizens of Shimla in 1904.
  - This rolling trophy reflects the strong local support and enthusiasm for the tournament.

It was originally established as a football competition for various departments and regiments of the Indian Armed Forces and the princely states.
Organised by: It is being organised by HQ Eastern Command since 2019.
Present Format: The tournament follows a league-cum-knockout format.
- National League teams were seeded directly into the league stage, while the Services Football Champion team earned a direct spot in the quarterfinals.
Present edition: This year is the 135th edition of the Durand Cup, which will be held from 25 July to 23 August 2026 across five host cities—Kolkata, Ranchi, Imphal, Shillong, and Guwahati.
- Ranchi will host the tournament for the first time.
- The 135th edition featured 24 teams, including one foreign team representing the Sri Lankan armed forces, continuing the tournament’s tradition of bringing together India’s leading clubs, Services teams and international opposition.