Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

Most Rovers Cup Winners in India

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was the first Indian team to take part in the Rovers Cup in 1923. However, the first Indian club to win the tournament was Bangalore Muslims in 1937

The Indian football scenario is yet to reach its pinnacle, but the country has a rich history of football. Some of the oldest football clubs in the world are from India and so are many football tournaments such as the Rovers Cup, Durand Cup, etc. Talking about the Rovers Cup, a group of British football enthusiasts from Bombay formed the tournament in 1890.

The Western India Football Association (WIFA) organised the tournament for decades, but in 2001, the tournament was shelved due to lack of sponsors and funds. In 1937, Bangalore Muslims became the first Indian team to win the Rovers Cup. However, until 2001, only two West Bengal-based clubs dominated the tournament.

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club

Presently known as ATK Mohun Bagan, the Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was the first Indian football club to receive a participation invitation to the Rovers Cup in 1923. That year, the iconic football club reached the final round but lost the match to the British team of 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry.

Around three decades later, in 1955, Mohun Bagan AC won their first Rovers Cup and till 2001, the club dominated the tournament by winning 14 titles. Not to forget, the Kolkata-based club also finished in the runner-up position on 10 occasions.

East Bengal Club

East Bengal Club could not match the record of Mohun Bagan AC. However, they earned their first Rovers Cup title in 1949; six years before Mohun Bagan lifted their first title. Between 1949 and 2001, the club earned 10 Rovers Cup titles along with four runner-up medals. The club’s last Rovers Cup win was in 1994 whereas their last runner-up finish was in 1988.

Andhra Pradesh Police football club

Before India’s independence, the club was known as the Hyderabad City Police football club. From 1950 to 1954, the football club won five consecutive Rovers Cups.

In the 1960s, when the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was formed and Hyderabad became the capital city of the state, the football club was officially renamed the Andhra Pradesh Police football club. The club won nine Rovers Cup (their last win was in 1963) and finished once in the runner-up position in 1963.