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Sign-ups for Badminton Championship
Applications for the 3rd Merlin Pattaya Badminton
Championship, the winners of which will receive the “Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn Cup” and a Royal Scholarship, are being ac-cepted until March
8th.
The matches will be held between March 25-29, 1997 at the Pattaya Badminton
Courts. The sponsors are the Merlin Resort, Pattaya, Pattaya City, the
Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Badminton Association of Thailand
which is under Royal Patronage.
The Competition Categories are doubles and mixed doubles as follows. 1.
Players not older than 11. 2. Players not older than 13. 3. Players not
older than 15. 4. Players not older than 18. 5. Hand Limitations, male and
female doubles. 6. General, male doubles. 7. Doubles(male) with a combined
age of 80 years and up. Both must have been born before 1963. 8. Male
doubles with a combined age of 80 years or more. Both must have been born
before 1960. 9. Male doubles, age 45 years and up. 10. Male doubles combined
age 90 year and up. Both must have been born before 1956.
Applications are being accepted now until the 8th of March, 1997. Necessary
documents are 2 full face photographs, (1 inch) a copy of your ID card
and/or birth certificate (original documents required to present to the
committee). Application fee is 800 baht. Match orders will be assigned by
lottery done on March 15th at the Nualsri Badminton Court, Soi 21, Bangkok.
Information may be obtained by calling the Badminton Association of Thailand
(02) 255-3391-3, the Merlin Hotel, Pattaya, (038) 428-755-9, the Seaview
Resort, Pattaya, (038) 424-826-8 and Jay Tours-(02) 252-3795.
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Dutch stars make
big charity splash
Jonny Rep, famous Dutch
footballer who scored goals in the UK Finale in 1974 and 1978, kick’s a
soccer ball to officially open the new Tornado Thailand modem factory in Ban
Chang.
The Lucky Ajax football team
at the grand opening of Tornado Thailand.
Above: Pattaya dignitaries
meet Dutch stars on the football pitch in North Pattaya to raise money for
Terre des Hommes.
(L to R) Mathieu Corporaal,
manager of Tulip House Jomtien; Robert Rynders, G.M. of Amari Atrium in
Bangkok; and Ron Ineke of Camel Cafe Pattaya at the gala party of Dutch
stars in Bangkok, where around 400,000 baht was donated to Terre des Hommes
for the care of homeless children.
Pattaya Sports Club Golf
Kris (left) and Anders (right)
winners of A and B flights.
Green Valley Country Club, February 20,
1997
Retreating from the frozen wastes of Sweden and Iceland, Anders Ericson and
Kris Helgason captured respec-tively first place in the A and B flights from
58 international golfers on one of the most difficult courses in the area.
Both scored 36 Stableford points.
Ian Halfpenny was 2nd in A flight with 34 points. Roger Morris and Mick
O’Meara 3rd and 4th with 33.
As the PSC always seems to have more competitors in the A flight, 2 prizes
were given in B flight. Dean Munday came runner-up to Kris with 32 points.
“Pocket Hercules” Brad Doyle took the long drive and nearest to the pins
went to Sven Vistung, Vic Chance, Warren Hines and John Brandon. Brad Doyle
reverting to his putter won longest putt on #9 and Jerry Lien on #18.
Siam Country Club, February 24, 1997
This occasion turned out to be a ladies’ day in that three of the
six main prizes were so claimed, not bad when only 4 ladies played out of a
large field. The course was a bit bumpy with more grass on the tees than
some of the fairways, but good scores were the order of the day.
Noisy Norrie won scratch prize with a gross 80 off 7 handicap. Jouko from
Finland, a new member, out-drove everyone on the 7th hole.
The lovely Nalinee Surya scored a net 69 (off her 12 handicap) in A flight
to come first. PSC golf chairman Alec Chilcott promised to give her a bottle
of champagne when she reaches a single figure handicap, and the day draws
near.
Not to be outdone, the equally lovely Noi Donaldson took first prize in B
flight, also with a net 69.
Walter Depooter was 2nd from Tor Eliason in A flight on count back, both
scoring 71 net. Lars Anderson again showed coming fourth with 72.
Second prize in B flight went to charming Annie Anderson with 75 on count
back from John Moore.
Nalinee (again), John Sutherland, Don Richardson and Lol Ewin won nearest
pins. Herbie Ishinaga and Sven Vistung the long putts. Noisy Norrie opened
his prize bottle of amber liquid and told a golf story not to be repeated in
the press.
The Pattaya Sports Club golf section will be holding a “Greensome
Stableford” on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 at Green Valley. Brendon Kelly,
who is donating a prize, has requested that everyone wear something green.
Entry forms are in the Cafe Kronborg, together with the March fixture list.
Nalinee (above) and Noi
won the A and B flights on Monday.
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Splinter Golf Group
Monday, February 24, Laem Chabang (Stableford)
With a field of 16 competitors, there was just one flight.
Continuing his excellent form, Tony Odlum was the winner with 39 points,
closely followed by Arthur Busch, also with 39 points but losing on count
back. In third place, with 38 points, Martin Furzer. The course was in
excellent condition, freshened by a short spell of heavy rain in the
afternoon.
Wednesday, February 26, Natural Park Resort (Stableford).
Brian Imrie, enjoying the “Rub of the Green”, was rock solid from
fairway to green and hard on the pin to score 41 points and claim 1st prize.
Sharing the experience were Gez Tracy, 2nd with 38 points; and Steve Ross,
close behind in 3rd place with 37 points. 14 competitors took part.
Friday, February 28, Diana Group Medal (Stroke)
This fine course deserves good golf and some excellent scores
were recorded amongst the 18 players competing for the monthly Diana Group
Medal Trophy.
A flight: 1st with net 68, and overall winner on the day was Brian Imrie,
maintaining his excellent form and desperately trying to bring his handicap
down. In 2nd place, and beating Norman Brooks on a count back, was Brian
Ewen with net 72.
B flight: Winner Ian Pike with net 69. In 2nd place, and working hard on her
game, was Banjob Khong-Nork with net 71, just beating Ciano Glavina on a
count back.
Near pin prizes of complimentary green fees, kindly donated by Rayong Green
Valley, went to Norman Brooks, Bill Thompson, Martin Furzer and Mark Adair.
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Beer Put starts
undefeated again
After just missing an undefeated season last time by
losing in the final week to Cheers, Beer Put has put themselves back on
track by winning the first two matches in the new season.
Not to be outdone, Mick’s Place has also started out the new season without
a loss. One team will have to give way to the other soon enough as the two
top teams meet this week.
Results from week 2: Beer Put won the match but lost the beer leg to
Pleasure Dome at home. Mick’s Place also won the match but lost the beer leg
to Palmer’s Bar away. Cheers achieved their first win of the season against
Rising Sun, but lost the beer leg in the process away.
Gen from Beer Put has taken the early lead for highest check out, a 100.
Chonburi to hosts
National Youth Games
This year’s National Youth Games will be held between the
1st and 7th of May at the Assumption Sports Field in Chonburi.
The purpose of the games is to emphasise the importance of sportsmanship,
physical fitness and to engender fellowship between the citizens of
Thailand’s culturally and linguistically diverse regions.
This year’s games will be called the “Chonburi Games”. The symbol of the
games will be a person holding a torch while riding on buffalo back.
There will be five sports represented:
1. Football
2. Volleyball
3. Sepak Takraw
4. Chair-Ball
5. Traditional Thai Sports
There will be over 500 young athletes between the ages of 15-25
participating.
Mountain bike hash forming
After a prolonged absence from the local Hash House
Harriers scene, Mountain Bike Hashing is ready to make a comeback.
An inaugural meeting is scheduled to be held on Sunday, March 16 at 2:00
p.m. at “Peter’s Bar” on 3rd Road, 250 metres from the South Road entrance.
All interested mountain bikers are invited to attend. If unable to make the
meeting, interested mountain bikers can call in to “Peter’s” and register
interest, or page 1144-591727 with contact information.
PSC Softball
Sunday’s double header turned into an unusual romp.
Kevin’s Stars, who had lost a double header to Doug’s Slugs two weeks ago,
came back to trounce Rick’s Red Sox.
In the first game, the Stars blasted solid hits all over the filed. Kevin
Caltex, along with former teammates Jerry and Kenny Caltex, recruited Alaska
Todd, Mike, Paul and Brad, and picked up PSC regulars James and Big George
Davis to form a hard hitting, fast running and sure fielding team that
buried Rick’s Red Sox 13 - 4.
Kevin’s Stars 4 3 0 0 6 0 13
Rick’s Red Sox 1 0 0 1 2 0 4
Seeking revenge in the second game, the Red Sox could only manage to get
within one run with the score at 2 - 3 in the top of the second inning. What
seemed to be a well matched game, with the Red Sox line-up featuring PSC
regulars Mike Berg, Alan Rutsky, Paul Nolan, Kenny T.D., Dick Cagg, Montreal
Robert, Sterling Bechtel, Belgian Pat and returners Alan Vegas and X
Burapha, but it wasn’t their day. The outcome, a stomping 24 - 5, saw
Kevin’s Stars continually pound the ball in all fields, play solid defense
and heads-up all around play in contrast to the Red Sox ineffective bats and
very sloppy defense.
Rick’s Blue Sox 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 5
Kevin Star’s 3 5 2 9 3 2 x 24
Reminder: New players are always welcome. Sign-in Pattaya School No. 7 on
Sukhumvit Highway just South of Greenway Golf Driving Range and Caltex gas
station at 13:30 every Sunday. Games start at 14:00. Hot dogs and cold
beverages available. Spectators welcome.
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Field narrows in Mid Week Quiz
“Who played the title role in the 1965 movie She?” “On
which Greek island was El Greco born?”
In last week’s Wednesday trivial pursuits quiz, Aussie Ken had a top score
of 92/120, although their rival team Britannia clocked up a very solid 85,
the two top scores of the evening. Leading team Cheers had a hiccup in a
recent good run and last season’s winners Bob’s ale house defeated them by
five points. Rising Sun had their first win of the season against the
legions from Fawlty Towers, whilst Shamrock came up trumps against
neighboring bar Palmer’s.
With nine weeks to go before the trophy can change hands, the season could
go to any bar in the league. No bar has managed to pull very far ahead and
there is more bunching than in previous seasons. Unlike the Sunday Quiz, the
marks are not totaled and added to previous results. Bars get three points
for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss against their opponents on a
particular evening.
Quizzers sometimes ask how new bars can get into the two trivial pursuits
leagues which operate in Pattaya. These decisions are in the collective
hands of the bar owners who usually hold a meeting at the end of each
season. The sort of questions asked are geographical location, whether a bar
can produce a team twelve months a year, prices of drinks, track records if
any, suitability of premises. Any prospective new bar should approach an
existing bar or the quiz administrators near the end of the season. It is
also a good idea to have visited several of the bars and taken part as
members of their teams.
The scores on the doors now are:
Cheers 13 Points
Bob’s 12 Points
Aussie Ken’s 11 Points
Britannia 11 Points
Fawlty Towers 10 Points
Shamrock 9 Points
Palmer’s 7 Points
Rising Sun 7 Points
Answers to the above questions are “Ursula Andress” and “Crete”. Arm benders
and walking encyclopedias are welcome to turn up at any of the listed bars
every Wednesday just before 8:30 p.m.
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Pattaya hosts bike rally
Pattaya is known for its natural beauty and the many
hills in the surrounding area. It has also been the venue for many
international water sports competitions.
Because of this, the Hitachi Company of Thailand and the A-Team Sports Co.,
Ltd., is organising the Hitachi-Thailand Bike Rally. The prize will be the
“Her Royal Highness, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Cup.”
The rally will be held on Sunday, March 9 in Pattaya.
For details, please call 429-124 or Fax 429-405.
Drew and Miller top
TAGGS two man scramble
For the second week in a row, Dave Drew has found himself
at the top of the leader board in the always interesting, always different
weekly competition in The Alternative Golf Gentle-men’s Society. Dave paired
with Vance Miller (Matt’s dad) to win the TAGGS 2 man scramble on Wednesday,
February 26, 1997, at Pattaya Country Club. The winning pair shot 35 out and
37 back, including birdies on holes 5, 17 and 18 to finish with a 72 gross,
66.6 net. Dave and Vance surged to victory with birdies on the last two
holes.
Marc Jernigan and Archie Nicholson finished second with a scratch 78, net
67.4, losing by a mere .8 of a shot. The pair needed a 6 on the final hole
to claim victory, but ran into a little trouble with the fairway bunker on
#18. Both men drove into the bunker, then both hit O.B. trying to get out of
the bunker. After re-dropping into the sand, the pair managed to save a
respectable 7, but it wasn’t enough to claim the victory.
Keith Watson and Vic Cross, who combined for the lowest handicap of all the
pairs in the competition (3.8), finished third with a 74 gross, net 70.2.
The pair went out in 37 and back in 37, including 14 pars, 1 birdie and only
three bogies.
The next Alternative Golf Gentlemen’s Society tourna-ment will be the Pairs
Medal at Khao Kheow Country Club on Wed-nesday, March 12. All golfers
welcome.
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Improve your Bridge
by Barrie Kenyon
In bridge, as in life, what is right today may well be
wrong tomorrow. This is especially true of the opening lead, the single most
important move that the defense has to make. A number of generalisations
have been devised to help out in difficult situations. You hear “lead fourth
highest of your best suit” or “always cash an Ace to a small slam” or “try
the unbid suit if there is one”. These rules are not always right.
The annual bridge tourna-ment between Britain’s House of Lords and House of
Commons, in London’s Portland Hotel, is never a sober affair in either sense
of the word. Somebody can’t turn up because he is in a sex scandal, sky
phones are ringing at awkward times and minds are on other matters such as
the upcoming general election. The House of Lords usually wins which is as
good a reason as any why the next Labour, or New Labour, government should
not abolish the institution.
One of their Lordships, sitting north, created a great deal of interest when
he picked up one of the best hands it is possible to hold. His spread was:
Spades King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7
Hearts Ace, King, Queen, Jack
Diamonds None
Clubs Ace, King, Queen
After a rather painful auction, declarer north found himself in a contract
of six spades. Opponent east led a small trump (holding Jack, 6, 4) because
he recalled another rule to the effect that it is safe to lead a trump to a
slam contract. The dummy dis-played a none too helpful collection:
Spades 5, 3
Hearts 8, 7, 6
Diamonds King, Queen, Jack, Ten
Clubs Jack, 8, 3, 2
On the small opening trump lead, north played dummy’s 3, west went up with
the Ace (holding Ace 2) and that was the end of the story. Declarer north
took the remaining twelve tricks in his own hand. Slam bid and made.
The interest of the hand is that the contract cannot be made unless east
makes the mistake of leading a trump, the so-called safe lead. On any other
lead, north must tackle the trumps himself as he can never get to the dummy.
His spade holding means that he must lose one trick to the Jack and a second
one to the Ace, causing the small slam to go down. Only an initial trump
lead allows declarer to limit his losers to one trick. Well done the Upper
Chamber.
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Excitement on the high seas
Around thirty of the world’s best catamaran sailors
representing 18 nations competed for the 1997 Dermophil Cataworld Cup this
past week in the Gulf of Thailand. Although at press time the final results
were not yet in, the preliminary races provided some clues as to who might
take the coveted international sailing championship.
Regatta favorite Mitch Booth of Australia, silver medalist in the 1996
Olympics and bronze medalist in the 1992 Olympics, enjoyed a start to finish
win in the first round on Thursday, February 27. Booth, and his Dutch
crewman Herbert Derksen jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in
the race that took competitors from the Ocean Marina in Pattaya to Rayong.
Day two saw a change in fortunes for the top rated team, as they only
managed an eighth place finish in the race from Rayong back to the Ocean
Marina in Pattaya. Peter Vink and Sacha Larson from Holland won the honors
on the second day, followed closely by Thai hopefuls Damrongsak Vongtim and
his crewman Prasertsak Mulprasert.
The French team of Jean-Francois Debacq and Herve Lurton became the third
team in as many days to finish in front. Debacq and Lurton, who won the
championship in 1994 and 1995, navigated the Ocean Marina - Koh Larn - Koh
Kram - Ocean Marina course in top form, giving them the overall lead going
into the final two races.
Booth and Derksen recovered well from their day two foibles to finish in
second place on day three, a position which gave them an overall standing of
second with two races to go.
Day four, the results of which were not yet in at press time, saw an attempt
at a record breaking crossing of the Gulf of Thailand from the Ocean Marina
to the Dusit Resort and Polo Club in Cha-Am. Officials from the Guinness
Book of World Records were on hand in case one of the teams was able to
break the 1992 record of 4 hours, 20 minutes, 30 seconds held by Yves Pajot
and Jean-Baptiste Levaillant. His Majesty the King sailed this very course
30 years ago.
The final, and most likely deciding, race took the competitors from Hua Hin
back across the Gulf to Laem Pu Chao lighthouse in Sattahip. Final results
next week in Pattaya Mail.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Royal Thai Navy along with the
Sailing Association of Thailand, under the patronage of His Majesty the
King, scheduled the Dermophil Cataworld Cup.
The Cataworld Cup is a small Catamaran contest for these very fast craft.
The last competition in Thailand was in 1992. Other races have been held in
France, Mauritius, Turkey and the Caribbean.
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Johansson takes final round in
PGS season
Peter Johansson shot a gross 95 off his 26 handicap to
finish with a net 3 under par 69 in the final round of the Pattaya Golf
Society’s first season for 1997.
Peter’s victory came after count back, as three golfers managed to finish at
net 69 on the Pattaya Country Club course. Billy Russel finished second
after count back with his scratch 92 off a 23 handicap. Les Winch finished
third after carding a scratch 102 off his 33 handicap.
Ken Carr placed fourth with a gross 94, net 1 under par 71. William Rice
rounded out the top five with a gross 107, net even par 72.
Billy Russel won nearest to the pin honors on the par three #12. Nearest to
the pin on #7 went unclaimed as, although many golfers landed on the fringe,
none managed to land their tee shot on the green.
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