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As the widow of the diver who died during the operation to save them watched, 11 Thai footballers and their coach were ordained Wednesday as Buddhist monks.
The ceremony began one day before the boys attracted global attention after being trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand, appeared in front of large crowds of supporters and later on shaved their heads in preparation for their short period of novice monks.
The Boars football team will perform charity work and pray in a monastery. Their ordination was full of reminders of Saman Gunan, 38, a former Thai Navy member SEAL, a volunteer diver who died by placing oxygen tanks for their rescue.
A large portrait of Mr. Saman and his widow, Valeepoan Gunan, attended the ceremony with members of the boys' family on Wednesday. Wild boars arrived in white robes, which they abandoned for saffron robes of Buddhist monks
. Valeepoan wore a set of robes for the boys, and Lieutenant-Colonel Pak Loharachun, a naval doctor who stayed with the boys for several days in the cave, held another.
The boys, ages 11 to 17, were rescued with their trainer, Ekkapol Chantawong, by Navy SEAL, foreign military and cave diving experts after more than two weeks trapped in the underground.
Unlike the boys, Mr. Ekkapol was ordained a monk aside. The coach, who had previously spent 10 years in the monastery, guided the boys in meditation to keep them calm while they were stuck in the Tham Luang cave.
A member of the team, 14-year-old Adul Sam-on, is a Christian and unordered, but he attended the ceremony.
Phra Mahapaivan Worravanno, a Buddhist monk and writer of Wat Soi Thong in Bangkok, says that by becoming novice Buddhist monks, boys accumulate merit or good karma that they can transfer.
"As for these boys and their coach, they said that they would order for Lieutenant Commander Saman Gunan, because the man is their benefactor; he sacrificed himself to help them, "said Phra Mahapaivan. "Ordering for Lieutenant Commander Saman Gunan is the way to show their gratitude and thanks."
The ordination of the team is also intended to honor the king of Thailand and the king's mother, and to show gratitude to the parents. the rescuers who helped them.
Thai Buddhist men spend a certain period of their life as monks, traditionally when they reach the age of 20. Some do it earlier and are considered novice monks or "nen"
. people practice mainly Theravada Buddhism, such an act by a young boy is considered a great expression of devotion and respect.
"For the boars, they will order to redeem the vows their parents have made, and more importantly, they will order in order to restore the merit to the soul of Lieutenant Commander Saman Gunan," said Anyatida Musittavee, 32 years old, office worker in Bangkok. "I think it's a good thing."
Anyatida said that she had prayed every night for the boys and their coach to be rescued safely, singing long texts in Pali, the ancient liturgical language
"I am extremely happy to see that they came out safe and sound. " ]
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