Team Tibet bows out of 37th Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup with scintillating performance against Mohun Bagan AC

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Oct 12: Team Tibet bowed out of the 37th Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup tournament conceding a goal late into the added time of second half in the quarter final against Mohun Bagan AC.

A relatively anonymous team in the tournament, Tibetan National Sports Association’s Team Tibet gave eight-time Champion of the tournament Mohun Bagan AC a run for their money in the closely contested quarter final match.

Team Tibet matched the oldest existing football club in India in every department of the match only to be left heartbroken as a goal conceded late into the added time of second half send them out of the 37th Sikkim Governor’s Gold Cup tournament.

The Governor’s Gold Cup tournament is being held at Paljor Stadium in Sikkim and this is Team Tibet’s third appearance and best performance in the tournament so far.

In spite of the lost against the Kolkata giants which knocked them out of the tournament, the quality and the standard of football they put on display against a stronger, bigger, better and more experienced time like Mohun Bagan AC won many hearts.

“We exceeded everyone’s expectation. Pitted against Indian professional league team Mohun Bagan, people believed we will go down 7 or 6 nil, but the boys stepped up to the mettle and put on a great display,” TNSA’s Executive Secretary Passang Dorjee told Tibet Express.

The Tibetan National Football Team will travel to London next summer to take part in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) World Football Cup 2018.

The CONIFA World Football Cup is an international football tournament organized by CONIFA for football federation of states, minorities, stateless peoples and regions unaffiliated with FIFA.

The Tibetan National Football team earned its berth to the CONIFA World Football Cup 2018 through a wild card entry.