The Subroto Cup, one of India’s premier inter-school football tournaments, holds a prestigious position in the nation’s sports calendar. Founded in 1960, this tournament has become synonymous with youth football development in India, providing a platform for budding footballers to show their talent and potentially kickstart their careers.
Named after Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, the first Indian Chief of Air Staff, the tournament embodies his vision of promoting sports among the youth. Here’s all you need to know about the tournament.
History of Subroto Cup Tournament
The inception of the Subroto Cup can be traced back to the late 1950s when Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee and the Indian Air Force (IAF) envisioned a nationwide school football competition. Their goal was to foster a sporting culture among young Indians and to identify and nurture football talent at the grassroots level.
The Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society was established in 1960 following the untimely death of Subroto Mukerjee in Tokyo. The inaugural tournament took place the same year, with around 50 school teams participating.
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Over time, the number of participating schools grew. Since 1998, the tournament has been organized into two age categories: sub-Junior (under 14 years) and Junior (under 17 years). Notably, Madhyamgram High School from West Bengal has claimed the U-17 title seven times, including a consecutive streak of victories in 1981, 1982, and 1983.
Initially, only schools from India took part in the tournament. Today, schools from across Asia participate in the tournament. The Special Sports School from Uzbekistan was the first international team to reach the final in 1993. Since then, schools from countries like Brazil, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Bhutan have regularly taken part in the tournament.
Format and structure of Subroto Cup
The Subroto Cup, organized by the Indian Air Force with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, has been held by the Air Force Sports Control Board since 1994. Initially managed by the Durand football tournament committee, it features preliminary inter-school tournaments across Indian states, starting at sub-division levels and culminating in state-level finals. State champions are then invited to compete in Delhi.
The league is played in two age groups, sub-Junior (under 14 years) and Junior (under 17 years) since 1998 for both girls and boys.
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The tournament operates on a league-cum-knockout basis under FIFA and AIFF rules. League matches consist of two 30-minute halves with a 10-minute interval, while knockout matches include extra time and, if needed, penalty shootouts to determine the winner.
List of Subroto Cup Winners
These are the teams that have won the Junior (U–17) Subroto Cup over the last two decades
| Year | Winners | Runners-Up |
| 2003 | Oxford High School, Mizoram | Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| 2004 | BSL IV E High School, Bokaro, Jharkhand | Government Senior Secondary School, Dimapur, Nagaland |
| 2005 | Nobel Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal | Government Model High School, Chandigarh |
| 2006 | Nobel Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal | Higher Secondary School, Agartala, Tripura |
| 2007 | National Cadet Corps, Aizawl, Mizoram | Sagarbhanga High School, Durgapur, West Bengal |
| 2008 | Boys Sports Company, Bangalore, Karnataka | Govt. HS School, Mizoram |
| 2009 | SAI Eastern Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal | Government Central School, Mizoram |
| 2010 | Government Mamit High School, Mizoram | Army Boys, Danapur, Bihar |
| 2011 | National Cadet Corps, West Bengal and Sikkim | Mynkhen Christian Higher Secondary School, Meghalaya |
| 2012 | Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine | MSP Higher Secondary School, Malappuram, Kerala |
| 2013 | OM Roy Memorial, Shillong, Meghalaya | Magurmari High School, Kokrajhar, Assam |
| 2014 | Colegio Estadul Santo Antonio, Brazil | MSP Higher Secondary School, Malappuram, Kerala |
| 2015 | AIFF Academy | Little Angels Paradise Secondary School, Manipur |
| 2016 | Atlético Paranaense, Brazil | Army Boys, Bangalore, Karnataka |
| 2017 | St. Columbus Collegiate School, Jharkhand | Army Boys Company |
| 2018 | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Amini School, Afghanistan |
| 2019 | Hopewell Elias Higher Secondary School, Shillong, Meghalaya | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 2022 | Pilgrim Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, Nagaland | Government Model Higher Secondary School, Chandigarh |
| 2023 | Government Model Higher Secondary School, Chandigarh | Amenity Public School, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand |
Junior (U–14) Subroto Cup Over the Last Two Decades
| Year | Winners | Runners-Up |
| 1998 | Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya, Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand | Electric Veng, Middle School, Aizawl, Mizoram |
| 1999 | ANFA Academy, Lalitpur, Nepal | Shri Kamlakar Chaubey Adarsh Seva Vidhyalay Intermediate College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
| 2000 | Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya, Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand | Galaxy Public School, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| 2001 | St John Bosco Boys Ups School, Sohra, Meghalaya | St Ignatius’ High School, Gumla, Jharkhand |
| 2002 | Holy Heart School, Aizawl, Mizoram | Namchi Sports Hostel, Namchi, Sikkim |
| 2003 | Holy Heart School, Aizawl, Mizoram | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 2004 | Gyanodaya Bal Batika School, Lalitpur, Nepal | Air Force Bal Bharati School, New Delhi, Delhi |
| 2005 | Army Public School Shillong, Shillong, Meghalaya | Nobel Academy of Higher Secondary School, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| 2006 | Allied Co-Education School, Kathmandu, Nepal | Government Model School, Chandigarh |
| 2007 | SAI Netaji Subhas Regional Centre, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland |
| 2008 | Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 2009 | Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan, Kolkata, West Bengal | Charity School, Kohima, Nagaland |
| 2010 | Government Model High School, Chandigarh | Hmar Veng High School, Kolasib, Mizoram |
| 2011 | Butwal Elite English School, Butwal, Nepal | Charity School, Kohima, Nagaland |
| 2012 | Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland | Kalyangarh Bidyamandir, Kolkata, West Bengal |
| 2013 | Government Chawngfianga Middle School, Mizoram | Betkuchi High School, Guwahati, Assam |
| 2014 | Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland | Government Model High School, Chandigarh |
| 2015 | Government Chawngfiang Middle School, Mizoram | Lycée Esteqlal, Kabul, Afghanistan |
| 2016 | Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Government Model High School, Chandigarh |
| 2017 | Astaqlal Kabul, Afghanistan | Government Model High School, Sector 36, Chandigarh |
| 2018 | Unique Model Academy, Manipur | NCC Directorate, Odisha |
| 2019 | Saidan Secondary School, Mizoram | Unique Model Academy, Manipur |
| 2022 | Heirok Higher Secondary School, Manipur | Berwa High School, Jharkhand |
| 2023 | Minerva Public School, Kochi, Kerala | Chawngfianga Middle School, Saidan, Kolasib, Mizoram |
Know about Nagaland Subroto Cup
After 42 years, Nagaland claimed the Subroto Cup Boys Under-17 title in 2022. Pilgrim Higher Secondary School secured the victory by defeating Government Model Higher Secondary School with a score of 1-0.
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The trophy was awarded to the winners by Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, who served as the chief guest at the event. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya was also in attendance.
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FAQs about Subroto Cup
Q) Subroto cup is associated with?
A) The Subroto Cup is associated with the game of football. It is played by school teams from across Asia.
Q) Subroto Cup is associated with which game?
A) The Subroto Cup is associated with the game of football. It is the oldest and most prestigious football tournament in India at the junior level.
Q) Who is Subroto Cup named after?
A) The tournament is named after Subroto Mukerjee, who conceived the idea of the tournament in 1958 when he was the Chief of the Air Staff.
