Durand defies time and hindrances

NEW DELHI: The historic Delhi Gate, the 17th century monument just a stone's throw away from the Ambedkar Stadium, and Durand Cup have something striking in common -- both are timeless and have survived the test of time. Durand, the world's third oldest football tournament, saw the main draw of its 124th edition begin on Tuesday. It has ploughed on despite hardships and lack of support now and then.
Just a couple of years back, the then national coach Bob Houghton severely criticized the event and called it 'useless,' even asking it to be banned. But Durand has taken everything in its stride and moved on.
This year too, the decision of glamour clubs Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Dempo to stay away has been a blow for the tournament but the Durand Football Tournament Society is unfazed. Surprisingly, more than a decade after two other big tourneys -- Rovers Cup and DCM Trophy -- have become history due to a paucity of funds, Durand has hiked the winners' purse from Rs five lakh to Rs 20 lakh this year with the overall budget of hosting the event has gone up from Rs 43 lakh to Rs 1.54 crore.
Despite the absence of top clubs, Durand is still an important event for new teams like Delhi United FC and Sikkim United, which is being nurtured by Baichung Bhutia. Senior India player Renedy Singh also feels that Durand will always remain an important event for Indian soccer.
"I've been playing in Durand since 1996. Besides the NFL and Fed Cup, I always considered it to be an honour to play in Durand. To say that it has lost importance is incorrect as it always provided the clubs and upcoming players excellent practice opportunity before the I-League," says Renedy, who will turn out for Sikkim United this year.
Another upcoming team, Delhi's very own DUFC, won their maiden Delhi league title last month and also the ticket to Durand qualifiers. "DUFC is representing Delhi in this event which is an honour for us. We won one and lost one in the qualifiers which is an achievement for a Delhi team as we rarely get to participate in national level events," said DUFC patron BS Mehra.
Renedy adds that this year's Durand will be crucial for Sikkim United as the fledgling club is trying hard to establish its credentials in Indian football. "We were a bit unlucky as we couldn't qualify for Fed Cup last month. A good performance here will help us before the 2nd Division I-League in January," he says.