Masters Games on today
by Henry Dyer
THE National Stadium tracks will come alive when the Sri Chinmoy Games — a track meet for men and women over 50 years will be held for the first time.
And the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run — the world’s longest running relay will be going through the country after 80 countries.
It will be the last leg of the relay which has involved over 500,000 people from around the world.
The Peace Run was devised by Sri Chinmoy, 62, who is here in the country on a Peace Tour in the South Pacific.
The current Peace Run began in Australia in March last year with Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne being dedicated to world peace.
Runners from the tour group will start off at Sukuna Park carrying a flaming torch of Peace to Ratu Nausori Park where the National Sevens will be held before returning to the National Stadium for the beginning of the Sri Chinmoy Master’s Games.
The “Ambassador of Peace” as he is renowned for is 62 years old and he was a [running] student of former world sprint champion Carl Lewis, who was also a student of the Peace man in meditation classes.
The group was in Apia, Western Samoa, where the Samoan Sports Minister won the celebrity 100m race-walk.
Sri Chinmoy considers sports at any age an important factor for the development of inner peace, for spiritual growth and a positive balanced lifestyle.
The winner of any athletic event to him is not the only one who stands first, but also the person who goes beyond his or her previous achievement or just gives his best.
Two of his students Carl Lewis and Muhammad Ali are just examples of his teaching and many others.
Interested athletes are to be at the Stadium before the Masters Games begin at 5 pm.
Published in THE FIJI TIMES — SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1994
An article about Sri Chinmoy’s Peace Concert appears in the Guang Ming Daily newspaper, a Chinese-language newspaper published in Malaysia.
Translation:
Guang Ming Daily
January 8, 1999 (Friday)November 21st, Wuyin Year of the Lunar Calendar
Penang/D11 (Penang 7th)
SRI CHINMOY, who is known as the messenger of peace, will hold a peace music concert at the Penang Chinese Assembly Hall at 8:00 pm on the 9th of this month (Saturday).
The music concert is free and open to people from all walks of life to listen to this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Dr. Nayak Polissar, the head of the Sri Chinmoy Centre, said so at a press conference held in Huatang today.
Those present also included Huatang Acting Chairman Wang Jilong, General Affairs Deng Guobin, Chen Sencai, Ke Jinshu and Zhang Jinxiang, etc.
He said that the music concert will be hosted by the Penang Chinese Assembly Hall and presented by the Sri Chinmoy Centre.
The multi-talented Messenger of Peace Sri Chinmoy will be presenting music at the aforementioned concert to celebrate the spirit of goodwill in Malaysia.
He went on to say that the 67-year-old Sri Chinmoy had composed thousands of songs in the past, expressing his inner feelings for peace.
At the concert on the 9th of this month, he will use at least 10 different instruments to perform his selected works.
The instruments used include those from India, Japan and Europe and various musical instruments and flutes from other countries.
Among the songs performed will also be his ode to Malaysia and its historical heroes, which will be sung by the International Sri Chinmoy Peace Choir.
Sri Chinmoy has held no less than 550 peace music concerts in many countries around the world. In several places such as Tokyo and Washington, the number of audiences attending the concerts exceeded 10,000.
In addition, he said, the Sri Chinmoy Centre is also holding a ‘Peace Run’ on Sunday (Monday) and will run to Penang Island, making goodwill and peace visits at 10 to 15 schools.
He pointed out that the ‘Peace Run’ will start on the morning of the 11th of this month at 7:30 from Batu Ferringhi Sands Hotel, and visiti Peiping and along the way Choi School, Tanchen Bungah National School, Special Education Primary and Secondary School, Tanjung Sitiya National High School, Penang Girls High School, Pulau Pool Skating, Abbey Secondary School, Allan Girls Primary School, and Wright Street Abbey Primary and Secondary School are scheduled to disperse at 1:30 pm.
The Sri Chinmoy Centre is a United Nations cultural and educational institution, NGO, based in New York.
Captions:
Left photo: Messenger of Peace Sri Chinmoy is playing a difficult musical instrument.
Right photo: Dr. Nayak Polissar, Director of Sri Chinmoy Centre (2nd from right) at the press conference, Zhang Jinxiang and Ke Jin from left, Acting Chairman Wang Jilong, and Bosandini on the right.