By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, May 29: The 29th Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup football tournament’s final match will now be played between DYSA Mundgod and Gulladhalla Youth Association Football Club, after Dhasa United was disqualified for submission of a false document of one of the players.
The Tibetan National Sports Association has once again found itself embroiled in controversy as the final match between Doeguling Youth Sports Association Mundgod and the defending champion Dhasa United FC Dharamshala was unable to proceed due to protests from supporters of Gulladhala FC over allegations of a forged Green Book belonging to one of the players of Dhasa United. The Green book (Chadrel lakdep), issued by the exile Tibetan government for voluntary monetary contribution serves as a Bonafide document for Tibetans in exile under the jurisdiction of the Central Tibetan Administration. The basic eligibility requirement for a player participating in the GCM tournament is the possession of a valid Green Book. Before the tournament, teams are required to submit copies of green books of players along with verifications from the settlement officers of the respective settlements.
Jangchup Gyaltsen, the newly appointed head of the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) told Phayul that Dhasa United has indeed submitted a falsified document for one of its players and that the Tibetan Settlement Officer in Kathmandu, Nepal has also confirmed that the document is forged. TNSA has decided to advance Gulladhalla FC into the finals as per the tournament’s updated regulations.
In an official statement, the director expressed regret over not being able to conduct a thorough investigation. However, following the completion of the inquiry, it was discovered that the green book submitted for the goalkeeper of Dhasa United did not belong to him. According to the tournament rules, the team found guilty of this offence will face a two-year ban from participating in the tournament, while the implicated player will be barred for one year.
During this year’s GCMGC orientation, TNSA announced new rules regarding fraudulent document cases. The former TNSA director stated that teams found guilty of submitting false documents would face disqualification, a two-year ban, and a fine of 10,000 rupees.
The controversy unfolded on the final match day of the 29th GCM on Tuesday, as supporters of Gullathalla took to the stage in protest, alleging that Dhasa United’s goalkeeper, a player from Nepal, had used a forged green book to enter the tournament. Citing the regulations of the TNSA, the protesters demanded that Dhasa United be disqualified and that the Gullathalla Youth Association Football Club should replace them in the final match against DYSA Mundgud. Gullathalla FC was knocked out of the tournament after losing to Dhasa United in the semi-final game earlier last week.
As the protest intensified, thousands of football fans were left waiting for hours as TNSA officials struggled to decide on the matter. The uncertainty surrounding the protest and the eligibility of the goalkeeper led to significant delays, causing frustration among the fans and players alike.
Speaking to Phayul, Sonam Gyatso, a player from the Gulladhala Youth Association (GYA) football club, recounted the events following the semi-final match between Dhasa United and GYA on May 27. According to Gyatso, the GYA captain received a call alleging that players from Dhasa United had used forged Green Books to participate in the tournament. They immediately reported this issue to the TNSA members, who promised to verify the documents.
A few hours later, TNSA members informed GYA that they had verified the Green Books with the Department of Finance, Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamshala and found them to be authentic. However, when GYA requested the ID proof of the player in question, TNSA failed to produce it, instead presenting the Green Book. GYA doubted the legitimacy of the document because the player appeared significantly younger than the birth year of 1991 listed in the Green Book, and the photo on the document was old and unverifiable.
Dhasa United issued a statement on the matter on Instagram stating: “We are writing to address the unfortunate events that transpired yesterday, specifically the allegations made by Gullathalla FC questioning the Tibetan heritage of our goalkeeper. Our goalkeeper, who played in last year’s GCM with Taktser, has received official clearance from the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA). We have been unjustly accused and, until now, were unable to fully prove our case. Despite these challenges, we stand firm in our position and the truth.
We are deeply saddened and disheartened by the way this situation has been handled by the TNSA and some supporters of opposing teams. Our players were surrounded by crowds, verbally abused, and subjected to unfounded accusations. Some supporters even went so far as to use derogatory terms, such as ‘gyami sowa,’ (Chinese spy) against our players. Our team includes young players as young as 17, who have travelled great distances driven by their love for this game. Yesterday’s events have severely impacted the mental and moral state of both our management team and players. As a result, Dhasa United made the difficult decision not to play.”
Many fans lamented that TNSA’s failure to verify documents before the tournament began led to the mess. This incident is not the first time TNSA has encountered such issues. In the 2018 GCMGC, three players from Gangtok FC were discovered with fake Green books, resulting in their disqualification from the finals. Similarly, in 2022, a player was found to have submitted documents to two teams, Dhundupling FC and Gangtok FC.
