Pema Tshewang
| Full name | Pema Tshewang | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Punakha, Bhutan | ||
| Other occupation |
Physical education teacher Sports coach | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2011–present (since 2012 at the Bhutan Premier League) | Bhutan Premier League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2014–present | FIFA listed | Referee | |
Pema Tshewang is a Bhutanese football referee, who has been FIFA-listed since 2014.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Tshewang graduated from Higher Secondary School in his native Punakha in 2008 and began an amateur referee career as a part-time job in 2011, while studying physical education in Paro. In 2017, he graduated with a diploma in P.E. and sports coaching from the Paro College of Education.[1][3] He later began coaching the sports teams of the Sports Federation from different faculties of the Royal University of Bhutan, and has helped in the organization of the university's winter and summer games for students.[1]
In 2014, FIFA named Tshewang as the Bhutanese representative for international competitions.[2] In 2019, he was selected as Bhutan's referee for the men's tournament of the South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he oversaw a single game between Nepal and Sri Lanka (1–1) in Dasharath Rangasala Stadium.[4] He has also officiated friendly matches for the FIFA Series qualification, including a game between Seychelles and Bangladesh at the Sylhet District Stadium in March 2023, which ended in the crowning of the Seychelles by a 1–0 result, following a penalty kick given by Tshewang to the Seychelles after a foul by Md Saad Uddin on Daryl Bertrand, which was then scored by player Michael Mancienne.[5]
Tshewang has also been active in the SAFF Championship, which is a primary competition for men's national teams from the South Asian Football Federation. He was appointed for the 2023 edition held in India, where he refereed two group stage matches: Pakistan vs. Kuwait (0–4), and the 1–0 victory of Lebanon over the Maldives.[6][7] Also in 2023, Tshewang took part in Nepal's organization of the SAFF U-19 Championship, where he led a game between the locals and the Maldives (4–1) in Kathmandu. During the heated match, Nepalese player Sujan Dangol provoked Maldivian player Mohamed Iyaan Hassan, and ended up fighting each other and being sent off by Tshewang, who showed them both a red card.[8] After the game finished, Maldivian player Afzal Mohamed (who had already been issued a yellow card), was shown a second yellow and a subsequent red card by Tshewang, after he angrily protested Tshewang's refereeing decisions.[8]
More prominent roles for Tshewang came within the SAFF tournaments, reaching the refereeing of the final match of the 2025 SAFF U-17 Championship in Sri Lanka on 27 September 2025, where India U-17 defeated Bangladesh U-17 on penalties following a 2–2 draw at the Colombo Racecourse Stadium.[9] In the previous edition, Tshewang refereed a semifinal game between Pakistan U-17 and Bangladesh U-17, which was won by the Bengalis on penalties.[10]
Selected performances
[edit]| Date | Match | Result | Round | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 December 2019 |  Nepal –  Sri Lanka | 1–1 | Group stage | South Asian Games |
| 24 June 2023 |  Pakistan –  Kuwait | 0–4 | Group stage | 2023 SAFF Championship |
| 28 June 2023 |  Lebanon –  Maldives | 1–0 | Group stage | 2023 SAFF Championship |
| 25 September 2023 | Nepal – Maldives | 4–1 | Group stage | 2023 SAFF U-19 Championship |
| 28 September 2024 | Pakistan –  Bangladesh | 2–2 (7–8) | Semifinals | 2024 SAFF U-17 Championship |
| 27 September 2025 | Bangladesh –  India | 2–2 (1–4) | Final | 2025 SAFF U-17 Championship |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Professional biography | Pema Tshewang". Paro College of Education. 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- 1 2 "Bhutan Football Federation | International Match officials". Inside FIFA. 2025. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "Pema Tshewang CV at the Paro College of Education" (Document). Paro College of Education. January 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "Nepal vs. Sri Lanka | Asian Games". GoalNepal News. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "Bangladesh suffer embarrassing defeat to Seychelles". The Daily Observer. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 | Match report" (PDF). SAFF News Federation. 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ "SAFF CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 | Match report" (PDF). SAFF News Federation. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 24 June 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - 1 2 "Nepal to date India in semis". The Kathmandu Post. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ Bhattacharjee, Sushruta (27 September 2025). "India 2-2 Bangladesh Highlights, SAFF U17 Championship 2025 Final: Blue Colts Seal 4-1 Penalty Win For Seventh Title". Outlook. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
- ↑ "SAFF U-17 Championship Bangladesh beat Pakistan in penalties". The Balochistan Times. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2025.