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).

 

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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