Durand Cup champions East Bengal will receive the President's Cup from the President on September 7

XtraTime Web Desk

East Bengal received the Durand Cup and Shimla Trophy at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, but the newly crowned champions will have to wait a little longer to get their hands on the third trophy—the President’s Cup. The prestigious trophy will be presented to East Bengal by the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan on September 7.

It has been a long-standing tradition that the winners of the Durand Cup receive three trophies—the Durand Cup, Shimla Trophy and President’s Cup. While the first two trophies were handed over to East Bengal on Sunday, the President’s Cup will be presented to the champions by the President at a special ceremony next month.

East Bengal were crowned Durand Cup champions after defeating arch-rivals Mohun Bagan 4-1 at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Sunday, ending a 22-year wait for the prestigious title. The Red-and-Gold brigade had last won the tournament in 2004.

The victory was even more special as East Bengal also avenged their defeat to Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup final three years ago. Interestingly, Mohun Bagan had also beaten East Bengal in the group stage of this year’s competition.

However, when it mattered most, East Bengal produced a dominant performance in the final, completely outclassing their arch-rivals to lift the Durand Cup after more than two decades. Now, the club will look forward to September 7, when they will receive the President’s Cup from the President of India and complete their historic treble of Durand Cup trophies.