Challenged by wars, Subroto Cup turns spotlight inwards

The absence is not for want of trying. Air Marshal S Sivakumar VSM attributed the lack of foreign teams to geopolitical tensions and wars.

“We had invited many teams, and people were ready to participate. Unfortunately, the geopolitical situation has been such that only teams from Sri Lanka could come from our neighbourhood. The other teams probably would have participated, but you know the situation – there are two or three wars happening simultaneously. I believe that may be the reason why we haven’t had more international participation,” he told the reporters on Wednesday.

However, in their fight to stay relevant, the organisers have recalibrated their approach – the focus is now on providing a developmental pathway for Indians. Under an MoU signed with the AIFF in 2023, the cream of each edition is assembled as ‘Subroto XI’ and given an opportunity to compete in AIFF youth competitions.

“Quite a few young players who have featured in the Subroto Cup have subsequently been picked up by different clubs and gone on to play in the ISL, I-League and other competitions,” Sivakumar said. “One of our players was even selected for the national team.”

The player in question is Manipur’s Lemmet Tangvah, who has represented India at the U-20 level. Before him came a more illustrious roll call: Bhaichung Bhutia, Shyam Thapa and PK Banerjee all passed through the tournament.

The 2026 edition will feature more than 200 matches across eight venues — five in Delhi and three in Bengaluru — with the closing ceremony on September 24. The prize pool stands at Rs 37.70 lakh, with Rs 5 lakh each for the Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ champions and Rs 4 lakh for the Sub-Junior Boys’ winners.