Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 28: The apex Tibetan sports body, Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) has announced that the 30th edition of the prestigious Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup (GCMGC) football tournament will be held in Dharamsala next year.
The tournament is tentatively scheduled for June 2025 at the Upper TCV School ground coinciding with the celebrations of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday.
Speaking to Phayul, TNSA Executive Director Jangchup Gyaltsen shed light on the decision to host the tournament in Dharamshala. “According to the new guidelines, this year’s turn to host was allocated to Tibetan settlements in northern India. Despite invitations for applications, no submissions were received from those settlements. Hence, the decision was made to hold the tournament in Dharamshala,” Jangchup explained.
The next year’s tournament will be the 18th time in the tournament’s 29-year history that Dharamshala, the capital of the Tibetan exile community, will host the GCMGC. However, time constraints at the Upper TCV School grounds have limited participation to 16 teams. The following edition of the tournament will be hosted by one of the south Indian Tibetan settlements.
The team slot allocations for the tournament have been determined in accordance with the official guidelines. DYSA Mundgod, as the 2024 champion, is granted one slot, while the host team from TCV also secures a dedicated slot. Teams from North America, Europe, and Australia are collectively allocated two slots, and Nepal is alloted one. A single slot is designated for teams representing Shimla, Chandigarh, and Delhi, while South Indian settlements, including Bylakuppe, Kollegal, Goa, and Hunsur, collectively receive three slots. Eastern settlements such as Darjeeling, Gangtok, and Shillong are allocated one slot, as are the regions of Varanasi, Odisha, Bandra, and Mainpat. Additionally, teams from Doon Valley and Sirmour District are allotted two slots, with Ladakh receiving one, and Dharamshala and its surrounding areas being assigned two slots.
TNSA has also introduced stricter player verification measures following a controversy in the previous year’s tournament, where a player from Dhasa United FC was found using another individual’s Greenbook. All participating teams are now required to submit updated copies of their players’ Green books and provide recent photographs attested by the Tibetan Settlement Office. “This measure is to ensure transparency and prevent any misuse of documentation,” the TNSA statement read.
In its statement, TNSA has warned that any player found submitting false or fraudulent documents will result in punitive measures against the team manager and coach, in line with GCMGC regulations. While health insurance is not mandatory for tournament participation, the association recommends it for players’ safety.
