Bao Jinghowlal

Football player infobox
playername = Bao Jinghowlal


fullname = Bao Davis Jinghowlal
height = height|meters=1.68
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1980|6|21
cityofbirth = Kanif
countryofbirth = Yap
position = Striker

nationalyears = 2001-present
nationalteam = Yap
nationalcaps(goals) = *22 (14)
Bao Jinghowlal (pronounced Jing-how-lawl) is the current captain of the Yap football team. He was born in Kanif, Yap on June 21, 1980.

Youth

Bao grew up in a small household in Kanif. He was 6 years old when US troops left Yap. His middle name, Davis, was the last name of an American soldier that befriended his family during the US occupation. Him and his 2 younger brothers, Tain and Yong, played soccer in an abandoned field near their house several times a week during their childhood and teen years. Bao played on local ameatur club teams until 2001, when he was asked to join the national team.

Career

He scored 3 goals against Chuuk in 2001, his career high in international play. He was designated team captain in 2005. In March 2006, after Yap's goalie went down with an injury in the 12th minute, Bao was put in goal and made 12 saves for the shutout against Guam. In July of 2008, he attended a tryout for the Premier League club Hull City. Several club teams in the Americas and Asia have shown interest in him.

Political Activism

Bao does not have any allegiance to a specific political party, as under the Federated States of Micronesia, there are no formal parties. Bao only recently joined The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, but has always made his voice heard as a strong supporter of gun control.

Personal Life

He married his longtime girlfriend, Pai, in 2002. They have 3 children. He speaks both English and Yapese. In July 2008, Jinghowlal became a member of the Catholic church. He owns a platypus named "Squanto" at a summer home on the Island of Tasmania.