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Indian Football Tournaments to Keep an Eye Out For
Football is by far the world’s most popular sport, with it being played in some form or the other globally. The modern origins of Football or Soccer in the Americas can be traced back to England in 1863. In its early years, football’s rules lacked structure and were made up as they went along, and this was acceptable as football was a sport in its infancy.
The Founding Of FIFA:
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established in Paris in 1904 to streamline professional football’s rules and bring the football-playing nations under one umbrella,
Among its founding members were Belgium, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. Stanley Rous, who went on to become the first FIFA President, helped write the laws of football and ratified them in 1886. Subsequently, these rules were amended in 1997 to keep pace with changing times.
There have been many thrilling encounters in the football world since FIFA’s founding, in marquee tournaments such as the World Cup and major regional sporting leagues such as the Champions League and the Asian Football League.
For those who cannot make the trip to the football stadium, participating in a fantasy football league is a pretty good substitute for replicating some of the thrills as you have to cobble together a virtual team and cheer them to victory.
Closer to home, the decision by FIFA in collaboration with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to roll out the Football For Schools program throughout the country will boost the beautiful game’s popularity within India. The Financial Express reports that the program will cover over 700 districts countrywide.
Complementing these efforts to popularize football are well-known football tournaments in India, which have seen numerous long-lasting rivalries and oscillating fortunes.
These tournaments are an excellent advertisement for the game, which will serve well to attract more young and talented footballers to the game.
1. Hero Intercontinental Cup:
The 2023 Hero Intercontinental Cup is a four-nation tournament slated for June 8-18, 2023. To begin with, it was a tri-nation association football tournament. This will be the third edition of the Intercontinental Cup, with Its inaugural edition held in 2018, in which India pipped Kenya in the final.
2. IFA Shield Cup:
The IFA Shield Cup is one of the country’s most important domestic football tournaments and is named after the association that founded it. The IFA Shield Cup is organized by the Indian Football Association of West Bengal and has been a regular annual fixture since the year 1893.
Since 2015, this tournament has been a regular tournament in the Under-19 circuit in a bid to foster its popularity among the next generation of footballers.
The IFA Shield Cup is the third oldest football tournament in India, after Durand Cup and the now defunct Trades Cup, and one of the oldest football tournaments in the world.
3. Durand Cup:
The Durand Football Tournament is one of many annual domestic football competitions in India. It is the oldest football tournament in Asia and its maiden game was first held in 1888 in Shimla, and is commonly referred to as the Durand Cup.
The first-ever edition saw the Royal Scots Fusiliers claim victory. However, they were dethroned by the Highland Infantry and Blackwatch, who went on to claim the mantle of most successful teams in the Durand Cup.
The Durand Football Tournament Society is responsible for the tournament’s functioning. It was initially set up as an army football tournament and later changed to permit civilians to participate in it.
The Durand Cup is scheduled to be played between Aug 13 to Sept 24, 2023, its traditional dates as seen from the previous years.
4. Indian Super League:
The Indian Super League is a football league formed along the lines of the Indian Premier League or IPL, which represents cricket. The plans were set in motion in December 2010 after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) IMG-Reliance inked a fifteen-year deal.
The inaugural edition of the ISL was held in 2014. The Indian Super League (ISL) has the mantle of being the most prestigious football league played in India. The league has eleven teams participating in this tournament, and it usually runs from November to March every year.
During the league stage, the team face-off in round-robin style. There are, in total, twenty matches to be played, and each team gets to play twice, with one being played on the home turf and the other being an away fixture.
Once the league stage concludes, the top four teams qualify for the business end of the tournament.
5. Hero Gold Cup:
The Women’s Gold Cup is an invite-only tournament, and its first-ever edition was held at the Kalinga Stadium in 2019 in association with the Government of Odisha. It is referred to as the Hero Gold Cup for sponsorship reasons. The invite-only nature of the tournament does give it an air of exclusivity which is bound to work well in its favor.
This tournament is usually held in the first quarter of every year. The 2019 edition of the Hero Gold Cup saw Myanmar emerge as the victor.
With all the investment pouring into the game and efforts being made to develop football at the grassroots level with the blessings of FIFA, things are looking bright for the future of football in the country. The inspiration from the rise of Asian teams such as South Korea, and Japan can only bode well for football’s future in the country.
