Players of the Tibetan National Football team pose for a photo in London on 28 May 2018. Dalha Tsering
By Dalha Tsering
LONDON, UK, 30 May 2018
The Tibetan national football team is all set to play in the CONIFA 2018 World Cup in London.
The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) is an international organisation responsible for the 2018 World Football Cup for states, minorities, stateless peoples, and regions not affiliated with FIFA (the international governing body of association football that organises the World Cup).
Now in its third year, the CONIFA World Football Cup has sixteen participants playing from 31 May to 9 June in and around London.
Team Tibet will play against Abkhazia in Match 2 of the tournament on 31 May at 12:00 BST, at Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Enfield. Abkhazia is an autonomous republic of Georgia, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.
On their arrival in London on 21 May, the Tibetan National Football Team received a warm welcome from Tibetan Community members, the representative of Office of Tibet London, Regional coordinator of TNFT, and other supporters.
The Tibetan team is led by captain Karma Tsewang, and Tenzin Samdup is the goal keeper.
Since their arrival in London, the team has been busy with social events as well as practice matches. The team played friendly matches with London Tibetan Football FC, Tottenham Hotspur’s Youth Academy, and another Tibetan team from London.
On 27 May, the team attended a prayer service at the Tibetan Peace Garden and a reception afterward at Tibet Foundation.
I simply like to wish and pray for their success , ‘Go Tibet Go’!