The Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup (GCMGC) is a highly esteemed international football competition that takes place annually. It is organized by the Tibetan exile community in India, with the primary aim of promoting sports, particularly football, among Tibetans.
The tournament is named in memory of Gyalyum Chenmo, who was the mother of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. She passed away on January 12, 1981, and the first GCMGC football tournament was held in October of that year at the Tibetan Children’s Villages (TCV). The inaugural tournament featured teams exclusively from the Dharamshala region, and the TCV team emerged as the champions.
The success of the first GCMGC football tournament and the growth of the Tibetan community in India paved the way for the establishment of the National Tibetan Sports Association (TNSA) in 2002. The main objective of TNSA was to promote sports in general and football in particular among the Tibetan community. One of the primary tasks of TNSA was to form the Tibet Football National Team and organize football tournaments among Tibetans.
Since then, the GCMGC football tournament has grown to become one of the most prestigious football tournaments organized by the Tibetan exile community in India. It provides a platform for talented players to showcase their skills and promotes camaraderie and community spirit among Tibetans around the world.
This year’s GCMGC football tournament features a total of 16 teams, and we wish all the participating teams the best of luck. We hope that this year’s tournament will be another successful year of competition and community building, and we thank everyone who has contributed to making it happen.
