All Indians have seen the photo of Kapil Dev holding aloft the Prudential World Cup that India won in 1983. It was a large trophy in the shape of a huge cup with handles on both sides. That is the standard design for almost all sports trophies. They are usually large cups with handles on either side. But have you ever wondered why sports trophies are in the shape of Cups?
In tennis, there is the Davis Cup. Table tennis has the Swaythling Cup and the Corbillon Cup, badminton has the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup and so on. There is a reason why sports trophies are almost always in the shape of a large Cup. It lies in traditional practices that many people are not aware of nowadays.
How the tradition began
In ancient Greece when the ancient Olympics were conducted, or when chariot races were held, the main prize that was given to the winner was a large container of Olive oil. The oil was highly valued in Greek culture and winning a large cup full of Olive oil was much appreciated by the winner. So the trophy was always in the shape of a large Cup. From the Greeks, the ancient Romans also began following the same practice.
But sometimes the winner was also presented with a brand new shield to protect himself from his enemies. The shield therefore became a symbol of long life and was a sign that the presenter wished a long and healthy life for the man who received it.
From there, it also became a plate on certain occasions. The plate was ornamental and on it heaps of gold coins and other prizes such as expensive cloth would be placed. In modern times the most well known plate shaped trophy is the Venus Rosewater Dish that is awarded to the winner of the women’s singles title at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
Cups, bowls and plates were symbols of feasts and celebrations. By awarding a cup or a plate with different contents placed inside or on them, became a way of rewarding the victor for his struggle and effort.
The practice continued in UK
Centuries later, the UK became a hub of sports activity. Almost all sports originated in the UK more than 100 years ago. Some sports such as cricket were played even in the 1700s. Back then, after a team had won a sports tournament, it became a practice to celebrate the victory by drinking an alcoholic beverage from a common cup. Each team member would take a sip or a gulp and then pass on the cup to another team member. It was a popular way of celebrating victory. So it became a practice to award a large cup to the winning team.
In the UK there were some very old sports events. The oldest trophy on record is the Carlisle Bells trophy for horse racing which was instituted in 1599 during the lifetime of William Shakespeare. In archery there was a competition for the Scorton Silver Arrow trophy which used to be conducted in 1673 in Yorkshire, UK.
India’s oldest trophies and sports
In India sports such as archery, wrestling and chariot racing have existed since ancient times. But back then the prizes were probably not in the shape of cups. In Kolkata there was a rugby tournament for the Calcutta Cup. The Calcutta Rugby club was formed in 1872 and the sport used to be played by British army soldiers even before that date.
India’s Durand Cup football tournament is also an old one and began in 1888. It is India’s oldest football tournament and exists even today. The trophy is named after its founder Sir Henry Mortimer Durand who was the foreign secretary of India from 1884 to 1894. It began as a football tournament for different regiments of the Indian army but later other teams were also allowed to take part.
So India too has its history of sports tournaments and trophies that were in the shape of cups and shields. Many famous incidents have happened in these tournaments and India’s top sportsmen have won these Cups and shields without perhaps knowing the history behind it all.
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