The Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is an international inter-school football tournament held in New Delhi, India. The tournament, held annually since 1960, is named after the Indian Air Force Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee. It is the oldest national school football tournament in India and was instituted to promote and encourage the sport at the grassroots level in the country. Students from different countries across Asia participate in this tournament, making it one of the more noteworthy school-level football competitions.
History Subroto Mukerjee conceived the idea in 1958 when he was the Chief of the Air Staff. Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society was formed in 1960.
Organisation
The Subroto Cup is conducted by the Indian Air Force, with the help of Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
Tournament structure The current tournament structure consists of the preliminary inter-school tournaments at different divisional levels culminating in the inter-school finals at the state level. The winners then participate in the main national tournament.
Subroto Cup Football TournamentRoundLevelTournamentMainNationalSubroto CupPreliminaryStateState Subroto CupPreliminaryDivisionDivision Subroto CupPreliminaryDistrictDistrict Subroto CupPreliminarySub-DivisionSub-Division Subroto Cup
Venues The venues for the tournament held at New Delhi: Ambedkar Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Tejas Football Ground (Race Course) Subroto Park
International participation School teams from numerous countries have played in the tournament, with the first team reaching the final in 1993 being the Special Sports School from Uzbekistan. Since then many schools from foreign countries take part regularly, such as Brazil, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan etc.
In the 2015 Championship, for the first time teams of boys and girls came from Afghanistan for the tournament. Brazilian legend and football's elder statesman Pele came to India after a gap of 38 years to attend the final of the 56th edition of the Subroto Cup as the chief guest. In 2016, Rivaldo and Roberto Carlos were the chief guests at the 57th edition.
Results Junior (U–17) The following is the list of winners and runners-up:
YearWinners ScoreRunners-Up Ref1960DAV HSS Daryaganj, Delhi and DAV HSS Chitragupta Road, New Delhi0–0– 1961Rani Rashmani High School, Calcutta, West Bengal2–0Gorkha Military HSS, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)19621963Batanagar High School, Calcutta, West Bengal4–2Rani Rashmani High School, Calcutta, West Bengal1964Gorkha Military HSS, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)1–0Anjuman-i-Islam, Bombay, Maharashtra1965Shri KAB Vidyalaya, Hazaribagh, Bihar (now Jharkhand) and Gorkha Military HSS, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)0–0–1966Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands2–0S.S.S., Jalandhar, Punjab1967Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands1–0Government HS, Kohima, Nagaland1968PKA Institution, Calcutta, West Bengal1–0Government HS, Mokokchung, Nagaland1969Gorkha Boys Company, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand) and Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Islands1–1–1970Gorkha Boys Company, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)2–1Gorkha Military HSS, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)19711972PKA Institution, Calcutta, West Bengal2–0Gorkha Boys Company, Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh (now Uttarakhand)1973Sir G.D. Patliputra HS, Patna, Bihar2–0Tombisana HS, Imphal, Manipur1974Sir G.D. Patliputra HS, Patna, Bihar and PKA Institution, Calcutta, West Bengal0–0–1975PKA Institution, Calcutta, West Bengal1–0Sir G.D. Patliputra HS, Patna, Bihar1976Netaji Sikshayatan, Agarpara, West Bengal1–0PKA Institution, Calcutta, West Bengal1977Adarsh Seva Vidyalaya, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh1–0Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands1978St. Anthony's HSS, Shillong, Meghalaya1–0Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal1979Ibemcha HSS, Manipur1–0Government HSS, Kokrajhar. Assam1980Ibemcha HSS, Manipur and Government High School, Dimapur, Nagaland0–0–1981Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal2–1Government High School, Dimapur, Nagaland1982Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal1–0St. Ignatius High School, Gumla, Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand)1983Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal2–1Aizawl High School, Mizoram1984Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands1–0Government High School, Dimapur, Nagaland1985Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal1–0Government High School, Dimapur, Nagaland1986Government HSS, Kokrajhar, Assam2–0R.K. Mission School, Arunachal Pradesh1987No.1 Goa Naval Unit NCC,Panaji, Goa1–0No.6, Bengal Battalion Bangaon, NCC Kalyani,West Bengal1988Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal4–0R.K. Mission School, Arunachal Pradesh1989Adarsh Seva Vidyalaya, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh0–0Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal1990St. Ignatius High School, Gumla, Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand)0–4Arya Vidyapith HSS, Guwahati, Assam1991Sports College (now Guru Gobind Singh Sports College), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh3–0Bidhan Nagar Government High School, Calcutta, West Bengal1992Arya Vidyapith HSS, Guwahati, Assam2–1Christ College, Cuttack, Orissa1993St. Ignatius High School, Gumla, Ranchi, Bihar (now Jharkhand)0–0 Special Sports School, Tashkent, Uzbekistan1994Sports College (now Guru Gobind Singh Sports College), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh0–0Bidhan Nagar Government High School, Calcutta, West Bengal1995Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal3–0Sports College (now Guru Gobind Singh Sports College), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh1996Madhyamgram High School, West Bengal0–0 Ort Netanya, Israel1997Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan, Calcutta, West Bengal1–0Central High School, Imphal, Manipur1998Mamata Modern High School, Delhi1–1Christ College, Cuttack, Orissa1999Government Boys High School, Shillong, Meghalaya1–1Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan, Calcutta, West Bengal2000Rangadih High School, Purulia, West Bengal1–0Army Boys Company, Danapur, Bihar2001Government Boys High School, Mizoram2–0Army Boys, Bangalore, Karnataka2002Bokaro Secondary School, Sector IV-E, Jharkhand1–0Apex Public School, Sant Nagar, Delhi2003Oxford High School, Mizoram1–1Government HSS, Car Nicobar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands2004BSL IV E High School, Bokaro, Jharkhand1–1,1–0 Government Senior Secondary School, Dimapur, Nagaland2005 Nobel Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal1–1,4–4Government Model High School, Chandigarh2006 Nobel Academy, Kathmandu, Nepal5–0Higher Secondary School, Agartala, Tripura2007National Cadet Corps, Aizawl, Mizoram1–0Sagarbhanga High School, Durgapur, West Bengal2008Boys Sports Company, Bangalore, Karnataka2–1Govt. HS School, Mizoram2009SAI Eastern Centre, Kolkata, West Bengal1–0Government Central School, Mizoram2010Government Mamit High School, Mizoram1–0Army Boys, Danapur, Bihar2011National Cadet Corps, West Bengal and Sikkim2–1Mynkhen Christian Higher Secondary School, Meghalaya2012 Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine5–2MSP Higher Secondary School, Malappuram, Kerala2013OM Roy Memorial, Shillong, Meghalaya4–0Magurmari High School, Kokrajhar, Assam2014 Colegio Estadul Santo Antonio, Brazil2–2MSP Higher Secondary School,Malappuram, Kerala2015AIFF Academy4–1Little Angels Paradise Secondary School,Manipur2016 Atlético Paranaense, Brazil1–0Army Boys,Bangalore, Karnataka2017St. Columbus Collegiate School, Bokaro, Jharkhand2–1Army Boys Company2018 Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh1–0 Amini School, Afghanistan2019Hopewell Elias Higher Secondary School, Shillong, Meghalaya1–0 Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh2022Pilgrim Higher Secondary School, Dimapur, Nagaland1–0Government Model Higher Secondary School, Chandigarh2023Government Model Higher Secondary School,Chandigarh0–0Amenity Public School,Rudrapur, Uttarakhand2024T.G. English School,Bishnupur, Manipur1–1Myngken Christian HS School,Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya2025Farook Higher Secondary School,Kozhikode, Kerala2–0Amenity Public School,Rudrapur, Uttarakhand
Sub–Junior (U–15) At the request of the School Games Federation of India, the Subroto Cup organisers started a sub-junior (11-14 Years) football tournament from 1998. Sixteens teams participated in the inaugural tournament, while more schools took part in the following years. Since 2000, the fairplay trophy for the sub-junior group has been named in the memory of late Lieutenant Sandeep Loomba, who died in a mountaineering expedition at Abi Gamin peak. Fairplay trophy for the junior group, medals and certificates for both the age groups, are provided by the Subroto Society.
The following is the list of winners and runners-up:
YearWinners ScoreRunners-Up Ref 1998 Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya,Bokaro Steel City, Bihar (now Jharkhand) 0–0 Electric Veng, Middle School,Aizawl, Mizoram 1999 ANFA Academy,Lalitpur, Nepal 3–0 Shri Kamlakar Chaubey Adarsh Seva Vidhyalaya,Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 2000 Bokaro Ispat Vidyalaya, Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand 1–0 Galaxy Public School, Kathmandu, Nepal 2001 St John Bosco Boys Ups School, Sohra, Meghalaya 1–0 St Ignatius' High School, Gumla, Jharkhand 2002 Holy Heart School, Aizawl, Mizoram 2–1 Namchi Sports Hostel, Namchi, Sikkim 2003 Holy Heart School, Aizawl, Mizoram 1–0 Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2004 Gyanodaya Bal Batika School, Lalitpur, Nepal 4–0 Air Force Bal Bharati School, New Delhi, Delhi 2005 Army Public School Shillong,Shillong, Meghalaya 2–2 Nobel Academy of Higher Secondary School,Kathmandu, Nepal 2006 Allied Co-Education School, Kathmandu, Nepal 1–0 Government Model School, Chandigarh 2007 SAI Netaji Subhas Regional Centre,Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 1–1 Greenwood School,Dimapur, Nagaland 2008 Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland 2–0 Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan, Dhaka, Bangladesh 2009 Sukantanagar Vidyaniketan, Kolkata, West Bengal 1–0 Charity School, Kohima, Nagaland 2010 Government Model High School, Chandigarh 1–1 Hmar Veng High School, Kolasib, Mizoram 2011 Butwal Elite English School, Butwal, Nepal 1–0 Charity School, Kohima, Nagaland 2012 Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland 3–1 Kalyangarh Bidyamandir, Kolkata, West BengalGreenwood HSS wins Subroto Cup Thehindu.com September 18, 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2015. 2013 Government Chawngfianga Middle School, Mizoram 2–1 Betkuchi High School, Guwahati, Assam 2014 Greenwood School, Dimapur, Nagaland 0–0 Government Model High School, ChandigarhSubroto Cup 2014 - U14 Boys Final: Nagaland Vs Chandigarh Ourdreamrun.com. 2014-09-30. Retrieved 20 October 2015. 2015 Government Chawngfiang Middle School, Mizoram 3–2 Lycée Esteqlal, Kabul, AfghanistanMizoram school lifts Subroto Cup sub-junior trophy Indianexpress.com. 24 Sep 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2015. 2016 Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan,Dhaka, Bangladesh 0–0 Government Model High School, Chandigarh2017 Astaqlal Kabul, Afghanistan2–0Government Model High School, Sector 36, Chandigarh2018 Unique Model Academy, Manipur2–0NCC Directorate, Odisha2019 Saidan Secondary School, Mizoram2–0Unique Model Academy, Manipur2022Heirok Higher Secondary School, Manipur2–0Berwa High School, Jharkhand2023Minerva Public School, Mohali, Punjab1–0Chawngfianga Middle School, Saidan, Kolasib, Mizoram2024Nongjri Presbyterian Secondary School, Nongjri, Meghalaya3–0Major Dhyanchand Sports College, Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh 2025Minerva Public School, Mohali, Punjab6–0Vidyanchal International School, Muzaffarpur, Bihar2026Manik Para Vivekanand Vidyapeeth, Jhargram, West Bengal1–0Kamrup Metropolitan Senior Secondary School, Sonapur, Assam
Girls Junior (U–17)