Mohun Bagan clinched the Durand Cup 2023 trophy beating East Bengal 1-0 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. Mohun Bagan won the 132nd Durand Cup for the first time in 23 years.
Key points
- Registering this victory, Mohun Bagan SG has become the first team in the history of Durand Cup to win 17 titles.
- East Bengal are the second-most successful team in the Durand Cup, and has 16 titles under its name.
- Earlier, Mohun Bagan had made it to the Durand cup finals in 2004, 2009 and 2019, but, could not register a victory back then.
Facts about Durand Cup
- The tournament began in 1888 under the able leadership of Sir Henry Durand, an Indian Civil Servant and the Foreign Secretary of India.
- The modern day Durand Line separating Afghanistan and Pakistan is named after him as well. His initiation of the Durand Cup began as a way of getting British Indian troops into sports and competitive events.
- The Durand Cup was first held in Shimla.
- The winner of Durand Cup gets three different trophies to the winning side. Durand Cup winners are presented with three trophies (President’s Cup, Shimla Cup and the Durand Cup).
- The President’s Cup was first handed over to the winners after India’s independence by the first Indian president Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
- The Durand Cup trophy which was the original prize.
- The Shimla Cup was presented for the first time by the residents of Shimla where the tournament was initially held.
- After India’s independence, the Indian Armed Forces remained in charge of the competition.
