The football-crazed world gears up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting from June to July in Russia. For Tibetans and its supporters, it’s an euphoric moment as Tibetan National Football Team is one of the 16 qualified teams to play at the upcoming 2018 CONIFA World Cup. The tournament is being hosted by Barawa and is scheduled to start from 31st May and will go on till 9th June 2018. The CONIFA World Cup is for states, stateless, minorities and regions unaffiliated with FIFA.
Dating back to history, football was introduced in Tibet when a first ever football match was played between the British and Indian missionary soldiers in Gyantse in Tibet in the year 1913. Subsequently, ‘Lhasa United’ team was formed and a match was played between the British Military team in 1936. Since then, football was widely played in Tibet until the Chinese occupation of the country that leads to the mass exodus of Tibetans to escape to India.
In 1981, after coming to exile in India, a first club level tournament called ‘the Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup (GCMGC)’ was set to play at a Tibetan school in India. The Cup was honoured in the name of the late mother of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.
In 1998, the first ever Tibetan national level team was formed when the Tibetan Children’s Village acknowledged the invitation to play football in Italy from an Italian rock music group ‘Dinamorock’.
In 2001, the Danish Tibetan Cultural Group invited the Tibetan national team to play against Greenland. Since then, the Tibetan national team has played many matches, globally.
Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) was formed in 2002. It was the brainchild of Ms Jetsun Pema (younger sister of His Holiness), the then director of Tibetan Children’s Village. It was her initiative to promote the sports in general and football in particular among Tibetan youth and to make difference in Tibetan struggle and culture through initiating football matches.
The Tibetan national team players are selected by the members of Tibetan National Sports Association.
Screenshots of reactions by netizens following Tibetan national team’s meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the TNSA Press Conference at Kashag Secretariat before their departure to take part at the 2018 CONIFA WORLD CUP.
Tibetan National Football Team meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at later residence received 13 k views @DalaiLama Tibetan version official Facebook page, out of which 1. 2 k liked the post and 334 shared the post to their near and dear ones. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @Tashi Lhamo wrote: Good Luck Team Tibet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s blessings. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @Tsering Namgyal wrote: Keep the advice of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in mind and play well. Photo / Screenshot
Within a day of His Holiness meeting with Tibetan National Football Team in English subtitles @Tibet News, an official Facebook page of Central Tibetan Administration received a total of 5.2k views, out of which 308 people gave a like button and 84 shared the post. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @Jamyang Thupten wrote: Good Luck Tibetan National Football Team Players, represent well for Tibet, winning is not everything. Photo / Screenshot
Tibet TV Live Webcast of the Press Conference on Tibet National Football Team’s participation in upcoming CONIFA World Cup received 8.2 k views, of which 525 liked the post and 93 shared the post in their pages. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @Bodpay Bhu Bodpa wrote: he is watching the live webcast from China. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @Bawa Thupten Choklang, a monk from Hunsur wrote: Best of luck from Dzongkar Choede Monastery. Photo / Screenshot
A Facebook user named @J Namgyal Kunga wrote: It’s time to show your skill, it’s time to show your country, it’s time to show your flag in front of the world. I wish you a very happy journey, hope you achieve your goal. Photo / Screenshot