As the wife of the diver who died during the operation to save them watched, 11 Thai soccer players and their coach were ordained Wednesday as Buddhist monks.

The ceremony began a day before as the boys, who drew global attention after becoming trapped deep in a flooded cave in northern Thailand, appeared before large crowds of supporters and later had their heads shaved in preparation for their short stint as novice monks.

For the next nine days, the coach and members of the Wild Boars soccer team will perform charity work and pray at a monastery. Their ordination was full of reminders of the former Thai navy SEAL member Saman Gunan, 38, a volunteer diver who died while placing oxygen tanks to be used in their rescue.

One member of the team, Adul Sam-on, 14, is a Christian and was not ordained, but attended the ceremony.

new york times