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Golf, cricket and the Dalai Lama

By Lobsang Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Lobsang Wangyal in Mcleod Ganj, India, on 18 April 2010. Jigme Gyaltsen

What has the Dalai Lama to do with golf and cricket? Nothing really. But due to his public profile, visits to the US and the current IPL cricket matches in Dharamshala, he has been linked to the sports by the media.

When he was on a tour of the US in February, the global media covered his meeting with President Obama. China frowned on the meeting and said that ties between the two countries had been hurt, though there were no indications as to what actions China might take. The second highlight for the American media was when the Dalai Lama said he didn’t know who Tiger Woods was!

Headlines such as — “Dalai Lama has never heard of Tiger Woods” (USA Today), “Dalai Lama now knows who Tiger Woods is” (New York Times) “Dalai Lama: Who’s Tiger Woods? (CNN) “Tiger Who? Nope, never heard of him” (The Baltimore Sun) — were splashed on the web.

The Dalai Lama said he did not know of Woods and that his own lack of knowledge about sports of all kinds was “my disgrace.”

On the same day that the Dalai Lama met Obama, golf great Tiger Woods made an emotional first public appearance, and apologised in person for infidelity. He had wrecked his Cadillac SUV in the early morning hours after Thanksgiving on 27 November, leading to stunning revelations about his incessant womanising. Woods, 34, was subsequently linked to a bevy of women, leading him to leave the pro golfing circuit and check into a sex rehabilitation facility.

He said that he was raised Buddhist but had lost connection to it, and needed to focus anew on finding balance between his religion and professional life.

After the whole Woods’ saga was explained to the Dalai Lama by the Associated Press during a brief interview at his hotel in Beverly Hills, he said that when it comes to adultery, “all religions have the same idea.”

He said, “Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that’s important. Self-discipline with awareness of consequences.”

So now what has the Dalai Lama to do with cricket? Well, he is not taking up the sport, but in 2005 the Dalai Lama was invited to be a guest at a friendly match between India and Pakistan in the newly-built Dharamshala Cricket Stadium (DCS).

The Pakistan team, following instructions from their superiors, opposed having the Dalai Lama as the chief guest. They threatened to withdraw if the Dalai Lama attended. The Dalai Lama happily pulled out from attending the match, which went on while Tibetans waved their flags. His policy is not to cause problems for anyone. He has often had to cancel international tours and meetings with foreign politicians due to pressure and threats from the Chinese government on the host nation. He does this in a untroubled manner, more concerned for the well-being of the host nation than his own tour.

That was probably the only connection the Dalai Lama had with cricket, until he gave an audience to two teams of the Indian Premier League (IPL) — the Kings XI Punjab and the Deccan Chargers on 17 April. The Dalai Lama spoke about ethics and about being a compassionate person — whether you are religious or not, or whether there is god or not, you are a human being first. Be a good human being. That’s what he told the cricketers.

He was the chief guest when another IPL match took place on 18 April at the DCS between the Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings.

The Dalai Lama may not be seen in sports gears or out playing sports. But he has a treadmill and works out on that regularly, according to his website. When he was younger during his early life in exile, he was an ardent hiker. A testimony to his hiking times is a rare photograph of him posing with the local tribal Gaddi shepherds, taken in the upper reaches of Mcleod Ganj. That photo, hanging in a restaurant in McLeod Ganj, shows him wearing a shirt and baggy pants, not his usual robes.

During his meeting with the IPL cricketers, Yuvraj Singh asked, “What’s your favourite sport?” “I think almost zero,” the Dalai Lama said. He then mentioned that when he was younger he played ping-pong and badminton. He started playing ping-pong when he visited China in 1954. He played a match with Chinese premier Chou En-lai in Beijing. “He cannot play with his right hand as he had some problems. So I hoped to win.” The Dalai Lama had also played badminton after coming in to exile at his Swarg Ashram residence in Mcleod Ganj.

So, this for the Americans. Who is Sachin Tendulkar? If you don’t know him, take it as “your disgrace”.

Sachin Tendulkar is the “God” of India. Lebron James and Albert Pujols rolled into one.

Tendulkar became the first batsman to set the World record of 200 runs in a one-day international (ODI) match. His 200 runs came off just 147 balls with 25 fours and three sixes, a feat which no other cricketer has achieved, on 24 February 2010 in Gwalior against the South Africans.

He was named as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment Programme in March this year. The position will enable him to use his popularity to raise public awareness and harness support for environmental action in India and the world.

Tendulkar, 36, who would be the second Indian after Mother Teresa to become a UN ambassador, said he will be happy if he is able to contribute even a fraction of what she has done.

Copyright © 2010 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun