Dharamshala: The 28th Gyalum Chenmo Memorial Gold-Cup (GCMGC) football tournament was concluded on 11 June 2023, with Dhasa United (Dharamshala) winning the cup for the first time after defeating the sixth-time winner Dhondupling FC (Clement Town) in the final match.

Dr Nipun Jindal, Deputy Commissioner of Kangra district, graced the GCMGC final as chief guest, along with the guest of honour, Acting Chief Justice Commissioner Karma Dadul from Central Tibetan Administration. The final was also attended by members of the standing committee of the 17th Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Cabinet Secretary Tsegyal Chukya Dranyi, Dhasa Settlement Officer Kunchok Migmar, Additional Secretaries of Central Tibetan Administration and heads of Tibetan NGOs as special guests.

The 28th edition of the GCMGC tournament commenced on 1 June with a total of 16 participating teams representing various Tibetan settlements and communities in the diaspora. Each team played in a round-robin format during the group stage, and the winners and runner-ups of the tournament’s four groups advanced into the knock-out stage to compete for the championship. In the final, Dhasa United and Dhondupling FC stridently contested to lift the trophy, with the former coming out on top 2-1.

Every year, the GCMGC football tournament is hosted to commemorate His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s great mother, while simultaneously bringing the scattered Tibetan communities closer together, consequently facilitating contact and establishing acquaintance among Tibetans.