THE Thai soccer team rescued from a flooded cave earlier this month have had their heads shaved in a traditional Buddhist ceremony.
The young soccer teammates and their coach, 25-year-old Ekkapol Chantawong, took part in a Buddhist ceremony as they prepared to be ordained to become Buddhist novices and monks — a gesture to honour those who took part in their dramatic rescue.
The Wild Boars team attended a similar ritual yesterday, where they circled a Buddhist shrine at a temple in the northern province of Chiang Rai three times and draped a temple relic — bone remains of one of Buddha’s disciples — with a white cloth.
They thanked the holy spirits for their rescue, and paid tribute to Saman Kunan, the only rescuer who died during the dramatic rescue mission.
Fourteen-year-old Adul Sam-on was the only one in the group of 13 — a dozen boys aged 11 to 16 and their coach — who did not join the ceremony on Tuesday and will not serve as a Buddhist novice because he is a Christian.
Thai Buddhist males are expected to enter the monkhood at some point in their lives to express gratitude.
Sangiemjit Wongsukchan, the mother of 14-year-old Ekarat Wongsukchan, told The Guardian her son will go “back to his normal life” after this.
“We can only do this for nine days because then he will have to go back to study and prepare for exams. Back to his normal life.”
The rescue effort to save the group of 13 ended on July 10 after a dramatic three-day mission which captivated the world.
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/rescued-thai-soccer-team-prepare-to-become-buddhist-novices-in-religious-ceremony/news-story/40033ff2dec4e2f3240217c10abb1cc7
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