2007-11-15

Robin Uthappa - a Christian?

From the department of-I-wish-journalists-were-clearer:
"At some point two years ago, he found me and I found him," Robin Uthappa says. "Actually I think we just found each other. And I could communicate with him. And things just happened for me since then. There was a time during the World Cup when he wouldn't talk to me, and that was a really bad phase. But it passed and we're communicating again."

Uthappa isn't talking about his relationship with his captain, coach or mentor. Nor is he referring to his father or a confidante. He's trying to explain his faith in God, the main reason he thinks he has got so far. A lot of sweat has gone into the making of Indian cricket's audacious young hope, but talk to him and you'd think he's destiny's child.

...

"But when I went into bat, I felt as good as ever. And now I hold a record for an Indian debutant. That doesn't happen to everybody. A lot of things that have happened in my life have a lot to do with God. If you see me batting, you'll see me mumbling, saying something. I pray the most when I bat. That's my time of prayer - on the field and when I bat. My love for him has only grown over time.

...

What comes next is most baffling. "When Dhoni got out, I knew I would win it. I knew this was my game. I knew I had been sent here to win it. The trust in the Lord was enough. Fortunately I had the tail with me and they've been batting brilliantly."

Surely the final two shots - a cute paddle past fine leg and a smashing drive past mid-off - had something to do with Uthappa? "Stuart [Broad] got the long-off up for the final ball. I'd just scooped him and knew he was trying to fool me. I knew he was bringing him forward to make me think it was going to be short. But even if he had bowled a short one, I knew the Lord would help me pull it away. I trusted myself and trusted Him. So I walked down, took it on the full and finished it."
The guy sounds like a Pentecostal Christian - especially when he talks about how God guided him to win a cricket match (of all things). But the entire article gives no clue as to what his actual faith is. He's probably not a Muslim (he hasn't changed his name, like Yousef Youhana) but he could probably still be considered a Hindu. Christ isn't mentioned at all, but that is most likely due to the journalist who wrote it. Another article about him mentions he is "spiritual" without actually mentioning his religious faith. The two articles were written by two different Indian journalists. Maybe it is taboo to be specific when talking about religion?

It would certainly be interesting to have a born-again Christian in the Indian cricket team. God knows the South African team had one too many.

10 comments:

Laura said...

The first paragraph really does sound like he'd had a row with his son but now they're back on good terms. How much of that can be attributed to sloppy reporting by pagan journalist?

Ron said...

tends to be difficult when Indians talk about God and the Lord when it could be Lord Khrisna. Same for folk in Muslims countries when the translation says God as opposed to Allah which is also the word Indonesian Christians use for Almighty God.

Well this guy sounds like he does know although he does use some of that confusing article

http://www.webtechpoint.com/
click the cricket tag for stuff on Robin

I suppose the journalist chose to be vague unless he thinks it is well known.

jerald said...

Robin was certainly talking abt God.the question was whether he was mentioning jesus or sombody else. he was from a catholic background...that means it must be jesus himself.i think he is coming to know this One true awesome God

Unknown said...

He Is a Christian and he is from a Bethel AG Church in bangalore
http://bethelagindia.org

sam said...

Yeah...Uthappa is a christian. I once met him at Assemblies of God, Church, Bangalore.

Unknown said...

No he married at holy ghost church bangalore.
It's a Roman Catholic church. .

Unknown said...

No he married at holy ghost church bangalore.
It's a Roman Catholic church. .

vatsa_gaurav said...

Uthappa was born to a Hindu father and a Christian mother. he and his sister officially converted to Christianity in 2011

Unknown said...

How his mother brain washed him for the conversion even the people of western countries like Julia robert, iron man are studied about sanatan dharm and they know the reality that Hinduism is only the oldest religion.

Truth will deliver said...

No one can brainwash people to accept Christ... being born to Christian parents can never make u a christian( maybe in papers)...it’s a personal decision...and to ur point, Christian origin has nothing to do with west... Christ was crucified in jerusalem( in Asia) and all his disciples wer Asians or Arabs.. Christianity came to India through Thomas and he established 7 churches in Kerala 2000 years ago.. and he was killed and buried in Chennai...every Bible has an index which says the origin and where Christianity originated and where every disciple was buried.. the Caucasians ( westerners) became Christians only after Paul started preaching Christ to them.Paul is not even in the original 12 disciples of Christ... so stop this ignorance and try to read historical facts prior to comments. Christianity is a purely eastern religion that was embraced by the west at some point of time. Just like how they have started to embracing Hinduism.