DYSA Mundgod Defends Their Title at the GCM Gold Cup

By Cyrus Kirkpatrick / June 11, 2019;

Winning team of GCMGC 2019, DYSA Mundgod
Photo: Tibet Sun

The biggest sporting event of the Tibetan exile community, the Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup football tournament (GCMGC), reached its finale with the Doeguling Youth and Sports Association (DYSA) Mundgod Football Club from south India securing a victory in the final match against Clement Town’s Dhondupling Football Club in the Upper Tibetan Childrens Village School Ground in Dharamshala on June 10, thus maintaining their champion’s title.

A total of 23 teams from India, Nepal, Canada, the United States and several European countries competed for the maximum points to qualify for the finale, resulting in a close contest between the finalists.

During the final match, DYSA Mundgod took the lead for 16 minutes of the first half, only to have Dhondupling catch up to an equal score shortly thereafter. During the second half, the stalemate continued as neither team scored. The winning team was decided by a penalty shootout and the victory was attributable to goalkeeper Tenzin Samdup, whose quick thinking on the field saved the second and third penalties resulting in a final score of 4-2 against Dhondupling.

Final match between DYSA Mundgod and Dhondupling DFC
Photo: Tibet.net

The 25th GCM Football Finale was held from June 1 to 10 in Dharamshala’s main football ground. Over the course of this year’s tournament several thousand attendees—including Tibetans and non-Tibetan fans—packed the mountain town to watch the 23 teams compete. During the ten days of intense competition, 82 goals were scored.

The finalist teams are the most well-established in Tibetan youth football. Dhondupling FC hold the greatest record in the history of the 25 years of the tournament, while the Mundgod FC victors represented a formidable opponent—having taken the cup three times in the last five years.

The memorial tournament is held every year and named after Gyalyum Chenmo, the mother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The tournament is currently operated by the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) which took charge in 2003. The different teams from around the world represent the broad span of exiled Tibetan communities coming together for a single purpose.

This year’s tournament was opened with a moment of silence in remembrance of all Tibetan martyrs who have sacrificed their lives.