The path to inner peace

"These young people are full of energy, too much temptation. They don't know the proper way to find inner peace, so they use drugs."

The Dalai Lama weighs into the Ricky Nixon-St Kilda schoolgirl debate.

"To be in the presence of someone who embodies compassion ... is the most amazing thing."

Collingwood footballer Harry O'Brien, presumably talking about meeting the Dalai Lama, and not Ricky Nixon.

"We've got a nice deep 25-30 players that you could throw in at any stage and they would be ready to put on a good performance for Australia."

Socceroos captain Lucas Neill is confident Australia has a squad good enough to earn qualification for the next World Cup in Brazil.

"It is hard to leave your local club, all my family are Sunderland fans and it is pretty tough because I have had some great years there, but I am looking forward to playing for Liverpool now."

New Liverpool signing Jordan Henderson says it was tough to leave Sunderland and accept a £20 million offer to join the Reds.

"I'm extremely disappointed and frustrated at the decision I found out about on Tuesday but I also want to make it clear I know I'm not the only player to go through this in the last few years because of inconsistent selection policies."

Simon Katich takes a whack at the Australian selectors after he was not offered a Cricket Australia contract for the coming season.

"Wherever I am going to play cricket, the world will know about it. I would not be stupid enough to play in a match where I knew that I would be taking a risk."

Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir, after the world spotted him playing for English village team Addington 1743 on Saturday. An ICC inquiry will determine whether the 19-year-old has contravened his five-year ban from all forms of cricket for deliberately bowling no-balls.

"I don't have time to go back to China right now. I'll go back after Wimbledon. If I don't do well in Wimbledon, maybe people forget me already."

China's first-ever grand slam winner Li Na thinks the feat of winning the French Open will not resonate with her countrymen for too long.

"A lot of respect for the great Bjorn, but I ... focus on (trying) to play well. For me, is much more important win Roland Garros than equal Bjorn."

Rafael Nadal was honoured to equal Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open victories, but just as happy to beat fierce rival Roger Federer, yet again.

"Surely the line has to be drawn when a sporting event is not mere entertainment in a less-than-perfect country, but is being used by an oppressive regime to camouflage its actions. If a sport accepts this role, it becomes a tool of government. If F1 allows itself to be used in this way in Bahrain, it will share the regime’s guilt as surely as if it went out and helped brutalise unarmed protesters."

Former FIA President Max Mosley explains why the F1 Grand Prix in Bahrain had to be cancelled, and more surprisingly speaks out against oppressive regimes.

"What can I say? I thought it warranted maybe a grade two. But I don't make those decisions. He's very important to them, so he's playing. It's not the first time - Jarryd (Hayne) a year ago - but it's been happening for a long time, or ever since I can remember and I played game one."

Queensland Maroons coach Mal Meninga was not surprised when Akuila Uate escaped with a reprimand for a dangerous tackle, leaving him free to play in Origin II.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.

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