Tibet Women's Soccer

07/24/2023

My time as the first coach, and ultimately the Executive Director of the Tibet Women’s National team, which was as grassroots as it gets in the world of football, emulated what continues to be a theme even at the highest levels of the women’s game.

Underestimated
Underfunded
Disregarded

But in our case, Team Tibet went from total non-existence and zero funding, to within two years having astronomically MORE funding than the men’s side.

Not because the federation cared, but because they put me and the players in charge of our own destinies, totally unaware of what we were capable of. I had zero expertise. The players even less. But by the sheer will of our own hearts, we funded an entire women’s football program for Tibet.

We told the story of these players’ lives, their escapes from Tibet as children, and their undervaluation by the federation.

The money came pouring in.

That’s where the trouble started. The Tibetan federation couldn’t handle the idea of the women growing and doing so well. Getting so much press. Playing internationally.

I was straight up TOLD to give the money to the men’s side because women’s football was cancelled. At which I said, “Over my dead body.”

I quit my position with the federation. Twelve courageous players approached me, asking if we could somehow continue our story.

Those twelve players showed up at a small refugee settlement in the middle of India, against the instructions of their federation, their government and much of their community.

They came. We had a camp. The federation tried to stop us.

We boarded a plane in secrecy, landing in Berlin. We played a tournament. A Chinese team was there. We made history.

The story just got more dramatic from there.

Years later, after a mega tour to Canadá with the whole world watching, I felt my life could be in danger.

I left and never returned. After 7 years.

I’m ready to tell the whole story. So are the players.

Are you listening?

03/08/2019

02/20/2019

TWS featured in this article by The Bastion, covering the importance of sports in refugee communities.

Written by Sourya Reddy “I don’t remember much; it was about 14 years ago, and I was 7. One day, my parents told my elder sister and me that we had to

01/13/2019

One of Tibet Women's Soccer's players, Tsewang Dolma, is now raising money so that she can pay half her tuition to attend university next year in the Netherlands. She plans to study Sports Management. Tsewang is from one of the most remote villages on the planet, requiring a four day walk through the Himalayas just to reach the nearest bus stop. Tsewang was one of the most dedicated, mature and kind young ladies I met during my time with TWS, and it shows. Last year she won a full scholarship to finish high school in Switzerland, and she is thriving there. University is the next step for her. If you can manage, please consider a small donation to help out Tsewang. --

Hi, I’m Tsewang, I come from Ripchet, a small village high up the mountainous parts of Nepal. Some of you may have heard of it, it’s located in the Tsum Valley, the epicenter of a massive 2015 earthquake. My hometown is very small and beautiful, surrounded by lush green forests and snow-capped m...

01/08/2019

01/03/2019

In 2019, Tibet Women's Soccer is donating the remainder of its funds to young women from the poorest regions of the Himalayas along the Tibetan border in Nepal, and all of them LOVE football. Our total donation comes to $3,023.05, and is the last of our funds since we ceased operations in 2017.

All five young ladies whom we sponsor are students from Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School in Kathmandu, Nepal. This is a school especially for children of Tibetan heritage, who are not considered true members of the Tibetan diaspora by the Tibetan government-in-exile due to geographical reasons (they are technically born in Nepal). Thus, they are not eligible for the benefits received by Tibetan refugees, and are largely forgotten.

In Nepal, most children only attend school up to grade 10. In order to finish grades 11 & 12, you must pay a very large fee, which is almost impossible for most families from the border regions where these girls are from. College is even more expensive.

Meet this year's recipients:

Lhakpa Bhuti Lama, Grade 12.
$1,000 to finish school so she can pursue her dream of becoming a dentist. Lhakpa is a star player of Tibt Women's Soccer, representing the team in many competitions over the years as our trusty defensive midfielder.

Lhakpa Yangchen Sherpa, Grade 11.
$1,000 to finish school. Lhakpa loves football and is currently volunteering as an assistant at Shree Mangal Dvip School in Kathmandu while she awaits sponsorship to finish grades 11/12.

Tenzin Bhuti, 13 years old. $935 for the year.
She is from a village called Paro in the Tsum Valley, situated in the northern part of Gorkha district, on the border of Tibet. The villages are undeveloped, lacking running water, electricity and sanitation. Most of the people in Nepal's remote villages are uneducated and have no understanding of health and hygiene. Like most of the remote areas, some of the kids in this region are facing death from treatable diseases like colds, dysentery, diarrhoea and measles exacerbated by chronic hunger.
Tenzin Bhuti's parents are also uneducated so they have no option, other than hard physical labor. Her mother works at home, fetches water and firewood and grazes the cattle. Her father toils in the field most of the time all alone. Theirs is a hand to mouth existence. Tenzin Bhuti has one younger brother who is studying with her in SMD.
Tenzin Bhuti is very happy to get chance to stay and study in SMD - where she gets to play football! No football (especially for girls) in Tsum.

Last year we set up sponsorships of two other young women, Rithar Dolma Lama & Karma Chokyi Lama, which continues this year. Rithar is currently finishing grade 12, and Karma is in a three-year Bachelor of Public Health Program.

About Shree Mangal Dvip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwJzyEvS5Pk

12/04/2018

More men destroying women’s football...

A sexual abuse scandal is engulfing Afghanistan's women's football team - once a symbol of freedom.