DHARAMSHALA, August 7: The Tibetan men’s national football team’s aspirations at the CONIFA Asia Cup came to an end after two consecutive losses in the group stage of the tournament. The team’s efforts on the field were met with disappointment as they faced defeats against Hmong FF and Tamil Eelam FA over the weekend.
Team Tibet lost the opening game against Hmong FF in a tense 5-4 match that saw Tibet score three goals from the penalty spot and one goal from open play. Tibetan team suffered another setback as Tamil Eelam FA surprised Tibet team with a 3-1 score line, cutting short the latter’s advance to the next stage of the tournament. The only Tibetan goal came from the penalty spot.
Team Tibet’s poor run in the tournament, many say, is due to its depleted squad with many players from India unable to join due to visa issue. Eight players from India holding Identity Cards (IC) were unable to join the Tibetan squad in Portugal due to visa entry complications. Nevertheless, they are set to re-join the team during their forthcoming European football tour, which includes stops in France and Belgium. The current squad is composed of Tibetan players hailing from all over the world, including India, North America, Europe, and Australia.
The challenges faced by the Tibetan team are multifaceted; The players from different corners of the world did not have a full training camp before the tournament due to financial constraints as well as logistical issues. Additionally, the apex sporting body that governs Tibetan football is severely understaffed and underfunded. The team’s travel expenses for the tournament were crowdfunded by supporters all over the world.
Scheduled from August 4 to August 8 in Alcochete, south of Lisbon, Portugal, the CONIFA Asia Cup aims to promote cultural diversity and inclusivity in football by featuring teams from regions and nations not officially recognized by FIFA. The tournament brought together three teams: Team Tibet, Hmong FF, and Tamil Eelam FA in this edition of the CONIFA Asia Cup.
CONIFA, or the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, plays an essential role in providing a platform for football associations outside the scope of FIFA. This global non-profit organization focuses on supporting teams representing nations, regions, minority groups, and territories with limited sporting recognition.
3 Responses
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I consider, that you are mistaken. I can defend the position.
Until you change few administrative structure of TNSA, there will be no improvement in football of Tibetan National sports association.
Especially people like Gompo (who doesn’t own any qualification/accomplishment especially in football) but was there from Mr. Kalsang’s tenure.