DHARAMSHALA: Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial (GCM) Gold Cup, the biggest sporting event in Tibetan exile community began at the TCV ground on Saturday, 30 May. The event is an annual football tournament dedicated to the memory of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s late mother.
Mr. Penpa Tsering, Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, inaugurated the tournament. Dignitaries at the opening ceremony include members of the Tibetan Kashag, Secretaries from the Central Tibetan Administration, and representatives from various Tibetan organisations.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the GCM Cup, Speaker Penpa Tsering said that the players fulfill a big responsibility spreading awareness on Tibet through the game of sports.
“Play the game like a game. If the game which is played to make friendship and unity creates disunity or hatred among the players, it does not serve the purpose of the GCM Cup,” said Mr. Penpa Tsering.
Twenty-eight teams from Tibetan settlements across India and Nepal as well as from Tibetan communities in Europe and North America are taking part in the tournament.
The tournament was first held in 1981 and since then, it gained in popularity, becoming one of the most anticipated events in the Tibetan diaspora.
This year’s tournament is however dedicated to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a token of gratitude from the Tibetan public on his 80th birth anniversary.
Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the democratically elected Tibetan political leader, is slated to grace the closing ceremony of the tournament and would do the honour of presenting the cup to the winning team.
