Indian Football: Five traditional competitions that need revival

The AIFF is mulling bringing back several lost football tournaments in the country.

With the change in guard at the helm of AIFF, Indian football stakeholders and fans are dreaming big to take the country's sport forward. Recently, the AIFF unveiled the 'Vision 2047' roadmap to transform India into a powerhouse of Asian/global football in the next 25-odd years.

While the fruition of such a dream will take time, the vision intends to reach that point by achieving many short-term goals. An example of such a goal is increasing the number of matches an Indian player plays to a minimum of 55.

To reach such a level, it is imperative that the top-tier league has more teams and more games. However, that may not suffice. The country will need more tournaments to significantly increase players' playing minutes. The motive of AIFF clearly indicates this path as it brought two knockout tournaments within the Indian football calendar. Going forward, it will be not surprising to see more knockout tournaments being introduced or revived.

Here, in this article, we will take a look at the five best traditional competitions that should be revived by the AIFF.

5. IFA Shield

The IFA Shield is an annual football competition organised by the Indian Football Association (IFA), the governing body of football in West Bengal. Beginning in 1893, it is the third-oldest football tournament in the country. Despite the tournament still continuing, it has become a shadow of itself in recent years. British army regiments dominated the initial years of the tournament.

In 1911, Mohun Bagan broke the British hegemony by winning the shield - that story remains a legend to date. This was a historic moment for Indian football and India's independence struggle. In the post-independence era, big teams like Penarol (Uruguay) and Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) took part in the tournament.

Today, the competition does not attract the big teams, even within the country. Consequently, between 2015 and 2018, the competition was held as a youth event. Today, it is played as a senior-team competition again. The AIFF should focus on reviving the lost glory of the tournament. Similar to making Durand Cup participation mandatory, the AIFF should make it mandatory to participate in the IFA Shield.

4. Kalinga Cup

The Kalinga Cup was held in Odisha and organised by the Football Association of Odisha and the Department of Sports and Youth of the Government of Odisha, annually. It began in 1962. Originally planned to be held every year, the competition has been taking place sporadically. Its last edition took place in 2016. Previously, it saw big Indian clubs like East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, and Mohammedan SC take part in it. Hence, having a rich legacy, AIFF should consider restarting the Kalinga Cup.

3. Rovers Cup

Rovers Cup is another football tournament the history of which dates back more than 100 years. Founded in 1890, it was organised by the Western Indian Football Association, the football governing body of Maharashtra. It was once a leading knockout tournament that saw the participation of all major Indian clubs and several good-quality foreign clubs.

However, the tournament was abolished in 2001, citing sponsorship issues and huge organising costs after continuing for 133 years. The WIFA expressed their interest in reviving the tournament in 2007, but attempts are yet to be made. Hence, going forward, this once-coveted trophy can be a viable option for AIFF in its revival plans.

2. Federation Cup

The most obvious domestic tournament name on this list is the Federation Cup. Recently, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey also made statements regarding the federation's plans to revive the once-premier knockout tournament. Federation Cup was one of the leading tournaments in the country alongside the I-League.

Established in 1977, it was the most prestigious national-level club football tournament in India before the start of the National Football League in 1997. It became a de facto league cup to the I-League until its abolishment in 2017. Furthermore, winners of the Federation Cup directly qualified for the AFC Cup.

We can expect the Federation Cup to be one of the first competitions that the AIFF will revive. Given its fierce competition and rich legacy, reviving the tournament will provide old clubs to relive their glory days while newer teams will get the opportunity to enrich themselves with Indian football's legacy.

1. Nehru Cup

Lastly, the most important name to feature on this list is an international tournament, the Nehru Cup. Inarguably, it was AIFF's most prestigious event. Launched in 1982, the tournament - named after India's first Prime Minister - saw the participation of countries like Uruguay, Argentina, Cameroon, East Germany, and the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, the competition could not continue its legacy and was shelved after 1997. Following three editions in 2007, 2009, and 2012, the competition was completely disbanded.

While India have organised an international tournament 2017 onwards in the form of the Intercontinental Cup, the pride and legacy of the Nehru Cup is something that the AIFF should seek to revive. If that happens, there will be a good possibility of seeing global heavyweights play on Indian soil.