When the men in uniform excelled on the football pitch

Shyam Thapa, a name that resonates with Indian football’s golden era, needs little introduction. A key member of the Indian team that clinched bronze at the 1970 Asian Games, the Dehradun-born striker rose to iconic status in the 1970s as Kolkata football’s ‘Rock Star’.

Renowned for his acrobatic back volleys, clutch performances, and legendary spells with both East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, Thapa became one of the most electrifying and beloved figures in Indian football, drawing massive crowds wherever he played.

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Yet, Shyam Thapa, now 77, and living in Kolkata, turns nostalgic whenever a mention of the 1969 DurandShyam Thapa Cup is made. In the final, Thapa, playing for the mighty Army side, Gorkha Brigade, scored the all-important goal in the 1-0 win over Border Security Force.

“I was hardly 19 when I won the Durand Cup for the first time. It made me a national star, all because of Gorkha Brigade. When we returned to Dehradun with the trophy, the railway station was crowded with fans. A procession was arranged with the team and the Durand Cup from the station through the main roads of Dehradun. Twice more, I won the Durand with East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, but nothing could beat this,” he said.

In the pre-Independence era, barring once in 1940, the British Regimental sides had an absolute monopoly over the Durand Cup. It wasn’t so when the tournament was restarted in 1950 after a gap of 10 years. In the years to follow till 2024, the Army teams have lifted the Durand Cup six times, though they came very close to it on several occasions.

There was a time when Gorkha Brigade were the star attraction in Durand. Twice they won the trophy in 1966 and 1969, and had players in their ranks who went on to become National Team stars. Players like Amar Bahadur, Bhupender Singh Rawat, Ranjit Thapa, or Shyam Thapa were household names and still remembered fondly by the old-timers. All of them made the national team, though by that time, they had left the Army in search of greener pastures in open clubs like Mafatlal and East Bengal.

“The 1969 Durand Cup victory made me a favourite of General Manekshaw. I wanted to be a Commissioned Officer, and General Manekshaw also encouraged me to do so. But in the examination, I didn’t do too well on the psychology paper. So, I took a release from the Army and joined East Bengal club in Kolkata,” said Shyam Thapa.

Another Army side that created a huge impact in the Durand Cup in the 1950s were Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington, the oldest infantry regiment of the Indian Army, originating in 1750 as a unit of the British East India Company. They proved equally competent in football, too, and bagged the trophy twice in 1955 and 1958, and developed a considerable fan following in the capital.

MRC’s biggest strength was their goalkeeper, Peter Thangaraj, considered the greatest in his position in Indian football history. One of the few players to play two Olympics and three Asian Games, Thangaraj guided his team to the victory podium on both occasions.

MRC, Wellington, emerged the champions in a kind of all-Army final in both 1955 and 1958. The first time, against Indian Air Force, the winners were decided on the third day after a goalless deadlock remained for two days. MRC proved the third time lucky with a 3-2 win. In 1958, there was no stopping MRC as they defeated Gorkha Brigade 2-0 in the final.

In the 1950s and 60s, the Indian armed forces produced some extraordinary footballers. One of them was Puran Bahadur Thapa, whose thrilling hat-trick against Pakistan in the 1954 Quadrangular Trophy final is still regarded as a milestone in Indian football.

After 1969, it took another 46 years for an Army side to win the Durand Cup. The new century brought a new dawn when Army XI defeated the favourites, Sporting Clube de Goa, in the tie breaker at the Ambedkar Stadium. Coached by Stanley Rozario, the Army XI defence effectively blunted the attacks of Sporting’s famous Nigerian duo, Dudu and Chidi Edeh, in the regulation and extra time to slam home all five goals in the shootout.

Eleven years later, it was Army Green’s turn to turn the tables on NEROCA in the 2016 final, which, too, went to the penalties. With a mix of players from the Northeast, Gorkha Regiment, Bengal, Punjab, and Kerala, the young team, coached by Sajith Kumar, displayed remarkable skills and fitness to tame a host of major teams in the country.