Italy's fair play wins them support of Tibetan Buddhist monks By WASBIR HUSSAIN Sat, July 8, 2006

RUMTEK, India (AP) - When Italy takes the field in Sunday's World Cup final, it will have some unusual support - some 300 monks at one of Tibetan Buddhism's holiest monasteries will be praying and cheering for the Azzurri.

It's Italy's fair play during the tournament that has impressed the holy men at the Rumtek monastery, which is high in the Himalayan mountains.

"I am praying for Italy's victory like many of my colleagues here," said Tenzing Dorji, a 27 year-old monk. "The team has reached the finals after a long gap and (are) playing in a fair manner."

However, he does concede that there may be one or two secret France fans there.

Most of the younger monks are keen soccer fans, said Karma Gyaltsen, a senior monk in charge of the monastery's administration.

"I'm sure they are going to break the stillness around here a bit with their shouts Sunday night," he said.

But that's OK, Gyaltsen is an Italy supporter too.

While he also admires their style of play, his devotion to the Azzurri, goes deeper.

He's a big fan of Italian soccer legend Roberto Baggio. "I like him. He is a Buddhist after all."

Baggio, who played in three World Cup's for Italy, converted to Buddhism in the 1980's.

The monks at Rumtek, one of the holiest Tibetan Buddhism sites outside Tibet, will gather in a hall, braving the near freezing weather and staying up till the early hours of the morning Monday to watch the game.

And soccer fever won't abate after the World Cup, Dorji said. The monks are avid players too.

"Football is our favourite game," he said. "Wednesdays aside, we play the game during our lunch-break."

Rumtek is 24 kilometres west of Gangtok, the capital of northeastern India's Sikkim state, which borders Tibet.