Dharamshala — The first basketball tournament of Tibetans in exile went underway on September 29, kicking off the first game in a pool of 12 teams from Indian and Nepali settlements participating in the tournament, at the Gangchen Kyishong basketball courts.
Tsegyal Dranyi, Secretary of Department of Health, attended the opening ceremony of the tournament, saying in his inaugural speech, “First of all through this tournament we aim to raise awareness about TB and secondly to encourage fitness in our community through sports such as basketball and football tournaments,” the Secretary said.
Northeast Yak lost by three points against Mundgod with a final score of 39-42 in favor of team from south India. Team Sarah beat Pokhra with a score of 59-19. The team from Delhi lost against Ladakh (34-19). Finally, the last match of the day saw Lugsam outscoring a team from Clement Town by 43 points (63-20).
The tournament is participated by teams from Bylakuppe, Mundgod, Dharamshala, Bir, Delhi, Ladakh and Dharamshala. The final of the tournament will be played on October, coinciding with the Gandhi Jayanti, birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The event was organized by the CTA’s Department of Health in collaboration with the Tibetan National Sports Association (TNSA) and Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) to raise awareness against Tuberculosis (TB).
