North-West India Football Association

North-West India Football Association
SportFootball
AbbreviationNWIFA
FoundedMarch 1932 (March 1932)
HeadquartersLahore
Closure date1947 (1947)

The North-West India Football Association (NWIFA), was a football governing body in British India, encompassing football control in Punjab, NWFP, Sind, Baluchistan and Delhi.[1] It was headquartered in Lahore. It also sent state teams for the Santosh Trophy.

History

A movement to form a separate football association in North Western India was initiated by Wing Commander Hamid Ali Soofi in November 1931, aiming to promote football activity in the region.[1] In March 1932, the North-West India Football Association was established, headquartered in Lahore, and encompassing control in Punjab, NWFP, Sind, Balochistan and Delhi.[1][2][3] Sikandar Hayat Khan was elected president and Hamid Ali Soofi was elected honorary secretary.[4] On 23 June 1937, NWIFA became one of the nine regional football associations to become affiliated with the newly formed All India Football Federation.[5][6]

Later on, several regions detached and formed their own associations. Sind Football Association was formed in July 1937,[7][8][9] and the NWFP Football Association was founded in August 1937.[10] After the partition of India and the subsequent division of Punjab between India and Pakistan, the East Punjab Football Association was established in India,[4] and the West Punjab Football Association was established in Pakistan.[11] The last honorary secretary of the North-West India Football Association since 1942, Khawaja Riaz Ahmed, continued his position as honorary secretary in the West Punjab Football Association in Pakistan.[12] Hamid Ali Soofi also became the first honorary secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation.[13]

State teams

The North-West India Football Association (NWIFA) football team competed in the Santosh Trophy.[14]

Office bearers

Presidents

President Term[15]
Sikandar Hayat Khan 1932 – 1935
Khan Bahadur Nawab Muzaffar Khan 1935 – 1938
Dr. H.B. Dunnicliff 1938 – 1939
Khan Bahadur Muhammad Sheikh 1939 – 1942
Khan Bahadur Mian Afzal Hussain 1942 – 1947

Honorary Secretaries

Honorary Secretary Term[15][12]
Hamid Ali Soofi 1932 – 1942
Khawaja Riaz Ahmed 1942 – 1947

Competitions

North-West India Football Championship

The association organised several editions of the North-West India Football Championship, open to teams from Punjab, NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan and Delhi.[16][17][18][19] The winners were awarded the Harper Nelson Challenge Cup, and the tunners-up were awarded the Rambhajdatt Chaudhary Memorial Challenge Cup.[15]

Edition Year Champion Score Runner-up Ref.
1 1932–1933 Headquarter Wing, East Surrey Regiment 1–1

N/A (replayed final)

Shining Club (Kohat) [20][21]
2 1933–1934 A Company, East Surrey Regiment N/A Headquarter Wing, East Surrey Regiment [22][23]
3 1935 Mozang Club 3–2 North-Western Railway Workshops [24]
4 1936 United Hands FC 3–0 A Company The Royal Scots [25]
5 1937 Shining Club (Kohat) 1–0 Government College (Lahore) [26][27]
6 1938
7 1939
8 1940 C Company DCLI 2–1 Government College (Lahore) [28]
9 1941 Government College (Lahore) 2–0 B Company [29]
10 1942 Olympians Club (Lahore) 5–0 Mozang Muslims [30]
11 1943 Batapur Club/Bata Sports 3–0 Rangers FC [31][32]
12 1944 Bata Sports Club 1–1

3–2 (replayed final)

DFA Jullundur [33][34][35]
13 1945
14 1946
15 1947

Lahore Football League

A Lahore Football League was founded in 1936, which was won by the Old Boys Club.[36] From 1937 onwards, it was divided in two divisions.[37]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 04 March 1932" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ Kausik Bandyopadhyay (29 November 2020). Scoring Off the Field: Football Culture in Bengal, 1911–80. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000084054.
  3. ^ Menon, Sandeep (11 December 2025). "How Mahilpur in Punjab is raising talented footballers and fostering a spirit for the beautiful game". Scroll.in. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b Ray, Rishav (19 July 2024). A Game of Two Halves: The Story of the Golden Era of Indian Club Football. Exceller Books. p. 118.
  5. ^ Kapur, M.L. (1956). Olympic Games. Soccer Weekly News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ Kapadia, Novy (24 June 2015). "The Birth of the All India Football Federation". Saddahaq. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  7. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 29 August 1937" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 13 November 1937" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 22 December 1938" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 20 August 1937" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 25 April 1948" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ a b "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 18 April 1954" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part I". Dawn. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  14. ^ "India 1946". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  15. ^ a b c Kapur, M. L. (1968). Punjab Sports and Who's who: Official Book of Punjab Olympic Association. Punjab Olympic Association. pp. 204–205.
  16. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 05 January 1935" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Monday 14 November 1932" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 17 February 1940" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ^ "Pakistan - List of Champions". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  20. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 06 January 1933". British Newspaper Archive.
  21. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 21 July 1933". British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 03 January 1934". British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 05 January 1934". British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Wednesday 13 February 1935". British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "Tuesday, 11 February 1936, Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore)".
  26. ^ "North-West India 1936/37". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 23 September 2025.
  27. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Thursday 11 February 1937". British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Friday, 15 March 1940, Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore)".
  29. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 25 March 1941". British Newspaper Archive.
  30. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 19 May 1942". British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 22 June 1943". British Newspaper Archive.
  32. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 06 July 1943". British Newspaper Archive.
  33. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 13 June 1944". British Newspaper Archive.
  34. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Sunday 18 June 1944". British Newspaper Archive.
  35. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Tuesday 20 June 1944". British Newspaper Archive.
  36. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Friday 05 June 1936" – via British Newspaper Archive.
  37. ^ "Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) - Saturday 31 July 1937" – via British Newspaper Archive.
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