Tibetan soccer searches for a level playing field

In their blood

With their strong physiques and protein-rich diets, Tibetans are a natural fit for any robust sport, and soccer is played everywhere from grassland areas to city streets.

In Lhasa, children can be seen kicking a football around the ancient lanes of Barkhor Street Bazaar, while in Nagchu city, where the average altitude is 4,500 meters, youngsters immerse themselves in the game despite not having a proper soccer field, goal posts or uniforms.

Tibetan monks, novices and Living Buddhas also love the game.

In Buddhist training colleges across Tibet, the soccer match is the main focus of annual sports days, and young Tibetan Living Buddhas anxiously look forward to the event.

Yontan Gyatso, a monk from Khorchak Monastery, Ngari prefecture, which is more than 1,000 kilometers from Lhasa, is a soccer fan.

"I like watching World Cup games, and my favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo. I'm overwhelmed by his ball-juggling skills," said Yontan Gyatso, adding the monastery has a team which regularly plays against a police team.

Ngari is 4,500 meters above sea level, and the games and practice sessions take place despite the thin air.