The Subroto Cup International Football Tournament is a prestigious international inter-school football tournament that is 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.
Members of the Indian Air Force, including Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (left), present a memento to Pelé at the final of the 2015 Subroto Cup
Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee OBE was an Indian military officer who was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Air Force. He was awarded several honours during the course of a three-decade-long career, ended by his untimely demise in 1960. He has been called the Father of the Indian Air Force.
Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee (pictured wearing Group Captain's insignia, c. 1947)
The first batch of Indian pilots at RAF Cranwell in 1931. From left to right: Bhupendra Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Subroto Mukerjee.
Air Marshal Mukerjee saluting as the President of India, Rajendra Prasad, presents the colours to the Indian Air Force in 1954
