In general view, people always believe that the "roof of the world" at 4000 meters above sea level would never have any connection with football. However, the fact is that football is no less popular in Tibet than it is in any other place. Particularly in recent years, on the snow-capped plateau, the residents increasingly love football. An ordinary football match can attract a big group of fans. Whenever weekends or holidays come, the playgrounds at school campus are fully occupied by young people. Sometimes people have to queue up.

Tibetan kids are kicking the ball on the grassland in Rutok County of Ngari Prefecture(over 4300 meters high). [Photo/China Tibet Magazine]

The question is when was football introduced to Tibet? Were there similar sports in Tibet in ancient times? In reality, it is quite hard to give a precise answer. For example, anything resembling balls is called "ball" in English; the Tibetan equivalent is "polo". Today, Tibetans still take the word "polo" to refer all kinds of balls. Therefore the relationship between Tibet and football is not a simple story.

In Tibetan history, the first formal football competition took place at Gyantse in 1913 between a local team and a guest team from Britain. In the book entitled "Track Tibet", Patrick French records: "To those Britishers, football is their entertainment; however, the Tibetan local team of 10 people, calling themselves 'Lhasa United', dared to challenge the Britishers. Five out of ten were young Tibetan autocrats, including the famous persons Yuthok and Taring; three were the people from Ladakh, and two, one was a tailor from central China, and the other was a soldier from Nepal. The British team was composed of four men and their servants. The match finally ended with a one-score advantage to the Englishmen. "The author concluded: "This was the highest altitude match to take place in the world. "

Up to 1920, Tibet had already formed many football teams. The most outstanding ones were Lhasa United, Potala Team, Tashi Team, Guard Team, and Delhapuchu Team. They have held many matches. And the Potala Team, consisted of many young autocrats who usually went to the hinterland to have competitions during the 1950s. They often took cameras with them which made others from the hinterland envious.

(Sources from China Tibet Magazine)