Bombay sang ghazals which Baba enjoyed very much. After that we sang the Arti and then all who were leaving on that day embraced Baba. After lunch Baba sat on the verandah while his lovers sat around him. The hall was completely vacated as Baba was to distribute trophies to several cricket teams of the Poona District Cricket Association. Baba had consented last week to preside over this function, at Guruprasad. The local papers had given a good write-up regarding this. One of the papers said, "History will he made next Sunday when a saintly personality will take an active, and in fact the most important, part in a sports function . . ."

The different teams collected in the assembly hall by about 1:45 P.M. Many local invitees had also come. Baba sat in his usual seat. All trophies and certificates were arranged on a table to his left. Press reporters and photographers got busy.

Baba said, "This is the first time I have taken part in such a function. There are two reasons for it. The first, that I was born in Poona-Maharashtra. The other, from my childhood I have been very fond of cricket. Spiritually, I am the Universal Being. I always like to watch cricket matches, but people do not allow me to do so in peace! Once I was invited by the mayor of Ahmednagar to witness a good match. It was one of the Ranji Trophy matches. When I reached there, the mayor was waiting for me with a garland and behind him was his whole retinue who had my darshan one after another. People began to crowd around me and finally I had to leave without having seen the match."

At 2:00 P.M. Mr. Palsule, the Honorary Secretary, garlanded Baba. He introduced to Baba the members of the executive committee. In his speech the secretary said the winners would not only receive the trophies, but also the blessings of Avatar Meher Baba. He said that this was a unique function because their chief guest, Baba, was also their host. Besides, this was the first time that this function had been held in the afternoon. The usual annual report of the Association was not read out.

After Mr. Palsule's speech, Baba distributed Cups, Shields, and Merit Certificates to the skippers of the different teams. Baba's message to the cricketeers was then read out by Eruch:

"I am happy to present these trophies today. When I was a boy at school and college I played cricket. Now I play my Divine Universal Game which includes cricket, and so I am still fond of that game.