Khad team from Una wins maiden women’s football tournament after penalty shootout

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, June 13: Tibetan National Women’s team was defeated by the Khad football team from Una in a penalty shootout in the maiden women’s football tournament hosted by Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) at Upper TCV School yesterday.

With no goals scored during the normal time and extra time, the final match of the women’s tournament was decided through penalty shoot out.

Khad team who scored their first penalty was declared champion of the maiden women’s football tournament as the rest of the penalties were either saved or missed.

The Tibetan National Women’s team, who enjoyed more ball possession and created better chances throughout the match, ran out of luck as three of their penalties hit the woodwork.

Ajay Singh Mankotia, President of Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association, the Chief Guest at the final match of the tournament, in his address congratulated the Khad team for winning the tournament and TNSA for successfully hosting the tournament.

Consoling the Tibetan National Women’s team on their defeat, he said, “A goal decides the fate of the game, but the goal of Tibetan struggle should remain firm and strong.”

The captain and the goalkeeper of the Tibetan Women’s team who stole the match with her brilliant display of skills rued the missed penalties and was inconsolable as her team had already defeated the opponent team 2-1 earlier in the group stage.

Overjoyed at the tournament’s success, Kelsang Dhondup, Executive Secretary of the TNSA announced his plans of going bigger and grander in the next edition of the tournament with more teams representing Tibetan women. He further announced Kollegal as the host of the 23rd GCM football tournament to be played in 2017.