JOIN USThis 'King Kong' wants to eat less!
Time and again, athletes have tried their hands at meditation for various reasons. From improving their overall performance to handling pressure in times of adversities, the reasons are plenty. However, Thai golfer Chapchai Nirat’s decision to seek the help of a monk has been for a peculiar one -- to curb his eating habit.
Nick-named the King Kong -- not for his once bulky size and non-stop eating style but his big-hitting prowess on the course – Nirat has not been able to control his insatiable appetite that has resulted in him gaining plenty of pounds.
Completely clueless, the 29-year-old checked into a Buddhist monastery a couple of years ago where he spent 20 days learning ways to overcome his constant craving for food.
“I feel really hungry and end up eating a lot because of which I put on a lot of weight,” said the 29-year-old who turned professional 14 years ago. “I weighed 92 kilos at one point. I didn’t know how to curb my eating, so I went for meditation classes at a Buddhist monastery. After the course, I’m able to control my eating habits and diet. I’ve lost eight kilos in the last one year,” gushed Nirat, also adding that his short stint helped him emerge a better golfer.
Nirat, who scored his first win at the Asian Tour/ European Tour co-sanctioned TCL Classic in China, set tongues wagging when he smashed a 72-hole world record 32-under 256 to win the 2009 SAIL Open at Classic Golf Resort in Gurgaon by an emphatic 11 shots. However, ever since that epic triumph, he has gone off the boil with no title to boot home.
“It has been a difficult time for me,” said Nirat of his lean patch. “I’ve been working hard on my game. The short game has been okay for the last 4-5 weeks. My driving has been good too. I hope to win the Indian Open,” concluded the Thai who shot one-under 70 in the penultimate round here and is three strokes off the pace.