2.

I am extremely happy and I am extremely proud to have here with us Carl Lewis, the champion of champions, the champion supreme in the world of athletics. He has won nine gold medals — nine! — in his outer life, in the field of athletics. Prayerfully, soulfully, gratefully and, at the same time, proudly, I wish to offer him nine million gold medals from my aspiration-heart and dedication-life for what he has done, not only for the improvement and betterment of athletics but also for his tearful heart for children and for all the suffering humanity.

Our world is making progress, fastest progress. Here is the proof: there was a time, when Carl was a little boy, when his idol supreme was the immortal Jesse Owens. And now in the world of athletics, by virtue of blessings from the immortal Jesse Owens, from Carl Lewis' father and from his mother, and from his well-wishers like me, he has far surpassed Jesse Owens in athletics.

In the inner world, I am not comparing him with gold medals. I am comparing him only with his own heart that he has given and is giving for the improvement of mankind. Many, many, many more summers he will see and I am sure Carl Lewis will do many, many good things to change the face and fate of humanity.

From:Sri Chinmoy,The inner meaning of sport, Agni Press, 2007
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/ims