Victory Parade: What It Means, The History, And Difference With Victory Day Parade? - Explained

The Indian cricket team, after their historic T20 World Cup win will be a part of a massive open-bus victory parade that will be followed by a felicitation ceremony at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, July 4. (More Cricket News)

A victory parade is a major celebration with a procession of people or vehicles moving through a public place in order to celebrate success. In sporting terms, a victory parade takes place when a group of players win a prize for the county or a team and return home with the ultimate crown. 

These parades go back in time, to ancient Rome, where the Roman Empire celebrated the leader who was militarily victorious. An English novelist and poet, George Orwell drew a comparison between sport and war, and hence the victory parade just sits well after a successful campaign. 

"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard for all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence: in other words it is war minus the shooting." 

Talking about victory parades, the one back in 2012, close to 800 athletes travelled in 21 floats in a parade through London celebrating the achievement of British Olympians and Paralympians. 

It was organised by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson after Great Britain finished third in the medal table tally after winning 29 golds, 17 silvers and 19 bronzes, adding up to a total of 65.

Preston North End were the first-ever league champions and the first winners of “The Double” becoming the only team till date to go a full season unbeaten in the league as well as the FA Cup, without even conceding a solitary goal. Reportedly, they were the first to organise such kinds of parades.

However, Victory Day Parades are different from victory parades. A Victory Day is a celebration that marks an important holiday on the same day or an anniversary after a specific success.

Well, 17 years ago, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Indian side got the nation’s attention in Mumbai, where the city celebrated India’s first-ever T20 World Cup victory in 2007. The whole nation were in tears and burst into jubilation as a win came shortly after their heartbreaking exit from the ODI World Cup earlier in the same year. 

Why is India’s T20 World Cup parade in Mumbai?

With the BCCI headquarters situated in Mumbai, and it being a cosmopolitan city, also the home to the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the city was picked for India’s T20 World Cup victory parade. 

However, this will not be the first time Mumbai will host a victory parade.