Top Tibetan Goalkeeper to play in top Indian League

The best goalkeeper of the exile Tibetan community Tenzin Samdup gets a chance to shine in Indian professional football scene as he is signed by I-League’s Real Kashmir FC this year, reports Phayul.com.  Last year, he was signed by the Chennai City FC, which won the I-League last season. 

Samdup is well-known in Tibetan community through GCM, the prestigious annual Tibetan football tournament, where many Tibetan teams from India and abroad compete. His goal keeping skill drew the attention of the Indian football world when he was awarded the “Best Goal keeper of the Tournament” at Sikkim Governor’s cup 2017.

At the tournament, he was the goal keeper of the Tibetan National Team which showed an unexpected performance, reaching Semi-Final to face Mohan Bagan, one of the biggest professional football teams in India.  I-Ieagues’ Mohan Bagan had to struggle till the last dying minutes of the match to score a goal against the Tibetan team. Thanks to Samdup’s amazing multiple saves.

Its very rare to see a Tibetan footballer playing in the professional football in India. Observers of Tibetan football will be closely following Samdup’s journey when the I-League kicks off next month.

His team Real Kashmir FC, which is already on the spotlight for being the first football team from Kashmir to play in the top Indian league, is in spotlight again as the documentary film on the team has been nominated for the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) or BAFTA Film Awards Scotland. 

26 year old keeper was the member of the 2019 GCM winner Mundgod FC, and also the keeper of the Tibetan National Team at CONIFA  Cup 2018 cup London.   

The video here shows how Samdup saves many goals for Tibet at Conifa cup.