Durand Cup

About Durand Cup:

• It is Asia’s oldest and the world’s third oldest football tournament, in which top Indian football clubs from across the country participate. 
• The inaugural edition took place in Shimla in 1888, when it started off as an Army Cup, open only to the British Indian Army troops in India.
• The tournament is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand.
• It was begun as a football tournament for different departments and regiments of the 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 of the Indian Armed Forces as guest invitees.
• The Durand Cup tournament is unique where in the winning team walks away with three trophies, 
  • The Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize).
  • The Shimla Trophy (also a rolling trophy and first given by the residents of Shimla in 1904).
  • The President’s Cup (for permanent keep and first presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President, in 1956).

Q1) What are armed forces?

Armed forces refer to the military organizations of a country or nation that are responsible for the defense and protection of its citizens and territorial integrity. These forces are usually composed of three main branches: the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force, each specializing in different types of operations and missions.

Source: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurates 132nd Durand Cup in Kokrajhar, Assam

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