Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society

The Subroto Mukerjee Sports Education Society is the official body conducting the Subroto Cup International Football Tournament, India's oldest national-level inter-school football competition. Established in 1960 and named after Air Marshal Subroto Mukerjee, the first Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, the society works under the patronage of the Indian Air Force with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The society's primary mandate is to promote football at the grassroots level among school students across India. It coordinates a multi-tier qualification structure spanning sub-division, district, division, state and national rounds, drawing participation from school teams across every Indian state and inviting foreign schools from countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil and Afghanistan. Operations are based at the Air Force Sports Control Board in New Delhi. The society manages tournament organisation, venue coordination, registration, and award ceremonies, with national finals traditionally held at iconic Delhi venues including Ambedkar Stadium, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Subroto Park. Over six decades of operation, the society has expanded the tournament from a single boys' event to three age divisions including a Girls Junior U-17 category introduced in 2012, making it one of the longest-running and most inclusive school sports competitions in India.