As football fans the world over eagerly await FIFA World Cup 2026, Tibetan football coach and author Lobsang Chodear “Tony” has come out with another football-themed book called Stateless Eleven.
This is Tony’s second book on football; the previous release was a non-fiction training guide called Football…the beautiful game. His latest offering marks a move into fiction, telling the story of a football team that faces hardships on and off the field.
Announcing the release of Stateless Eleven on Facebook, Tony wrote, “It’s not just about football. It’s about identity… about belonging… and what it means to feel like you don’t fully belong anywhere.”
He said Stateless Eleven follows the story of young players carrying “silent battles” and holding onto their dreams “even when the world looks away”. For them, he said, the game becomes a place “to breathe, to fight, to exist”.
Stateless Eleven is a story of 11 players from a city who feel unseen and have no place to which they belong. They are not chosen; they come together on their own. Guided by a quiet coach and watched by someone who understands them, they live in a world that sees them but does not accept them. Through the game, they find purpose, trust, and connection. Together, they become more than individuals without identity; they become a team.
The book is available worldwide through Amazon.
Source: Facebook
Lobsang Chodear has a degree in Physical Education (with specialization in football) from Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, India. It is a premier institute in India for physical education that holds an A++ accreditation.
Popularly known as Tony, he has dedicated more than 25 years of life to football, serving as a Physical Education instructor in schools across Nepal, acted as consultant for various football tournaments, and coaching teams from Nepal for the GCM, the largest Tibetan soccer tournament in exile.
