Paonta, 1 July 2022: For the CONIFA Women’s World Cup organised by Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) at Paonta Cholsum Tibetan Settlement, the Tibet Museum, Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was invited for a two-day (30 June and 1 July) exhibition. The exhibition titled ‘Pictorial biography of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’ and ‘Tibet’s Journey into exile’ was displayed in the auditorium of Sambhota Tibetan school Paonta, adjacent to the school’s football ground. In a welcome session for the participating teams and the chief guests, the host settlement, Poanta Cholsum, performed several cultural dances, and the overall preparation was splendid and exhilarating.
The president of CONIFA Per Anders Blind, Secretary Palden Dhondup of the Department of Health, President of Tibetan Women’s Association Tenzin Dolma, Vice President of Tibetan Women’s Association Tsering Dolma and Director of Tibetan National Sports Association Tenzin Rinchen were among the main chief guests for the event. Representing The Tibet Museum, Karma Tashi and Tenzin Jinpa presented the guests with Museum’s souvenirs.
The following day on 1 July, a grand opening ceremony of the CONIFA Women’s World Cup was held with the presence of aforementioned guests and a large number of audiences. The first match of the tournament was played between the Tibetan Women’s football team and Sapmi women’s football team. During halftime-interval, spectators visited the exhibition site, and the elderly Tibetans specifically were more absorbed while going through the collection of rare photographs; few even identified people and places they had known. Altogether, CONIFA Women’s World Cup participants, guests, people of the settlement – old and young, and members of the establishment 22 band group actively participated and showed great enthusiasm in the Tibet Museum’s exhibition.
To summarise, the exhibition’s duration was short yet impactful and a great learning experience for the visitors and the Museum. Hence, the Tibet Museum extended heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to TNSA for inviting them to exhibit and the people of the settlement for helping them in all the possible ways and for their kind hospitality.
-Report filed by Tibet Museum