Ex-Mr New York to visit alma mater Wynberg Allen today

Ajay Ramola

Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, August 10

Tibetan-American fitness freak Lopsang Dokpatsang will visit his alma mater Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie on Thursday and Friday to interact with students for creating awareness towards fitness.

Dokpatsang, an acclaimed nutritionist and film artiste, has held the title of Mr New York thrice (1992, 1998 and 2001). He is in India for ‘Quality World Health Nutrition Tour’. He holds the distinction of working for the Dalai Lama as a body guard on a few occasions. He is a US citizen. He has represented Nepal in the SAF Games on the insistence of the then prince of Nepal, who was his friend.

“I am in New Delhi and looking forward to visit the school in Mussoorie where I spent my formative years. It is after 30 years that I am going to visit the school. I am curious to see the changes the school has undergone over the years,” he said.

He will share his experience of becoming Mr New York with the students. Lobsang has also acted in a few Bollywood films, namely “Qayamat” with Ajay Devgan, “Talaash” with Akshay Kumar, and “Janasheen” with Feroz Khan. He will be playing the lead role in a film titled “The New York Police Officer and Monk”. The English movie will also be available in Tibetan and Hindi and will be released by the end of this year. Dokpatsang plays a cop from New York who comes to India for spiritual healing and his life changes after meeting a monk.

“I am blessed with multiple identities. I am a Tibetan born in India (Darjeeling) and studied in Mussoorie,” he says.

Another reason behind his India visit is to inspire the youth of the country, especially Tibetans, and help them with his expertise as per the directions of the Dalai Lama, he says.

Dokpatsang is the first Asian to win the Mr New York bodybuilding competition against all odds as he was rebuffed in the beginning by many who said that no Asian can have a body like those who were competing. It was after such comments he resolved to train and compete in the completion to win it three times.

“I had to leave for the USA before completing my 10th grade to study in New York University film School where I met many Hollywood film stars such as Richard Gere,” he says.

Students of Wynberg Allen School are eager to meet him.