|
Aussies help Thai athletes to the
Sydney Olympiad
by Peter Cummins
At a “Fun and Games” fair held at the World Trade
Centre’s Skydome earlier this week, the Australian Tourist Commission
“brought the ambience of the forthcoming Sydney Olympiad” to Thailand.
The Tourist Commission invested two million baht in the
programme which was designed to recreate the excitement the Thai
contingent will encounter next September, when the first Olympic Games of
the millennium will open at Sydney.
Games for the Games
Olympic souvenirs, Kodak cameras and air tickets for
the Games from Thai Airways and Ansett Australia were among a myriad
prizes offered to the huge crowds wandering around the Skydome. Also
included were six English-language scholarships from the institute of
Technical Assistance for Further Education (TAFE) and the Wesley
Institute, New South Wales, as well as Griffith University scholarships
for post-graduate study in Banking, Finance and Accounting. (One can only
hope that these scholarships are well subscribed by candidates in
Thailand’s banking sector!)
 Australian
Ambassador H.E. William Fisher (3rd left) opened the Australian “Fun and
Games” fair to support Thai athletes. Photo Peter Cummins
All funds raised from the Bangkok ‘games’ will be
contributed to the support of the Thai team which will represent the
Kingdom at the Sydney Games.
Australian Ambassador H.E. William Fisher opened the
fair, urging not too many players to win, to leave more to be donated to
the Thai National Olympic team. His Excellency, accompanied by members of
the Thai National Olympic Committee, the Australian Tourist Commission,
Ansett and Thai Airways staff and Australian Embassy personnel toured the
impressive lay-out, meeting the many who thronged there.
I noticed that many of the entourage were wearing
Sydney 2000 ties, a multi-coloured extravaganza cascading down the shirt
front. At this point, the group, with a legion of journos in tow, reached
one of the games. This particular game of chance had a first-to-third
prize for three players. The first prize was one Sydney 2000 tie, the
second, two and the third, three Sydney ties!
A highlight of the entertainment was the arrival,
courtesy of Warner Brothers Movie World and Tourism Queensland, of Batman
and Robin, accompanied by a rather-voluptuous feline - Catwoman - who
mesmerized the crowd thrashing the ‘other two’ with a huge whip. The
huge army of children went totally mad with the excitement of seeing their
comic strip characters right there.
Typically, this correspondent had - no, not heart - but
camera failure, at this vital moment. Nevertheless, a brief interview with
Batman and Robin, just out of clean, green Brisbane, revealed their first
impressions of our fair city. “After an hour in the Bangkok traffic,”
Batman told me, “we felt more like Flatman and Ribbon.” Nothing - not
even Bangkok gridlock - I mused later, could have ‘flattened’
Catwoman.
The Skydome was beautifully situated right in the
middle of five tiers of balconies rising skywards, from which hundreds of
onlookers watched the “fun and games” below. At ground level, those
walking past the fair and exhibitions were easily cajoled into joining the
fun.
Of course, no Aussie show can be staged without typical
Australian friendliness and hospitality. In addition to travel, Mr Richard
Beere (the right name for someone promoting Australia), Regional Director
of the Australian Tourist Commission pointed out that, “Given our
enormous clean environment, Australia is recognized for its award-winning
wines and wine tourism.” And, as could be expected, excellent Australian
wines flowed freely. The huge crowd drank wine to Mr Beere’s sentiments!
An added feature of the fair was an aboriginal art
exhibit highlighting the world’s oldest (40,000 years plus) art form.
Four of Australia’s tourism organizations showcased
their individual states’ attractions and products: Tourism Victoria,
Tourism Queensland, the South Australian Tourist Commission and Tourism
New South Wales.
Olympic sponsors include Coca Cola, Kodak, McDonald’s
and Visa and, as Mr Beere aptly summed up the “Fun and Games” fair,
“there is no better time to visit Australia than in 2000. With less than
150 days until the torch is lit at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games,
Australia is now the world’s most exciting country to visit,”
concluded Mr Beere.
No doubt, the Thai Olympic squad will agree
whole-heartedly.
See you in Sydney.
Formula 1 results: Schumacher 1 - the rest
Nil!
At the Nurburgring Circuit in Germany, Michael
Schumacher, the Fatherland’s favourite son, demonstrated why he is the
most highly paid race driver in history. In a race that was best described
as splash, bash and crash, the elder of the racing Schumacher brothers in a
cool, calm and collected drive, just showed the opposition just how to
control 800 horsepower while travelling sideways in the rain.
While the other drivers complained about being held up by
slower competitors and being unable to see to pass, Schumacher just drove
around them all and not only scored the victory, but underscored his
supremacy.
At the start, McLaren Mercedes driver Mika (Happy)
Hakkinen made a brilliant lunge from the second row, spearing between
Schumacher’s Ferrari and his team-mate and pole sitter David Coulthard to
take the lead at the first corner.
Also pulling a great hole-shot was Villeneuve in the BAR,
jumping from 9th to 5th, but all was not happy in the Jordan camp, with
Trulli bouncing off Fisichella’s Benetton and retiring and Heinz-Harald
Frentzen’s Mugen Honda engine expiring shortly afterwards.
Hakkinen’s lead was short lived. With rain falling on
lap 10, it only took Schumacher two laps to cruise past the Finn and pull
away at around 2 seconds a lap. Again, complete dominance.
After the first round of pit stops, Schumacher led from
Coulthard, who had passed third place man Hakkinen in the pits, with the
second Ferrari of Barichello running in seventh. Barichello had been loudly
proclaiming all year that there were no 1st and 2nd driver ratings at
Ferrari, and he was Schumacher’s equal. However, he ably demonstrated how
much this was in his dreams at Nurburgring.
On lap 22, Coulthard let Hakkinen through to second on
the track and the McLaren Mercedes team were hoping for some great laps from
their number 1. Unfortunately, nobody told Schumacher, as he just quietly
ploughed away through at the front of the field!
On lap 29, Eddie Motormouth Irvine in the Jaguar decided
to declare war on Germany and attacked Ralf Schumacher’s BMW Williams,
bringing them both undone. Jos Verstappen in the Arrows, closely following,
was so pleased to miss the gyrating Irvine that he decided to crash test his
Arrows against the barriers half a lap later. The barrier won.
The race splashed on, with the only lead change being
when Schumacher pitted for his second stop, but after Hakkinen had his
second stop, he was still 10 seconds behind the German, with Coulthard 67
seconds adrift in third and Barichello finally up to fourth another 8
seconds adrift.
With five laps to go, Alexander Wurz’s fortunes in the
second Benetton went from bad to ‘wurz’, bungling a passing manoeuvre
and crashing into Herbert’s Jaguar, ending both of their races, elevating
Jenson Button’s BMW Williams to seventh, but he retired with excitement on
the next lap. Other notables in the Nurburgring Offroad championships were
Zonta in the BAR and Mazzacane in the Minardi.
And so they ran to the finish, Schumacher the elder
comfortably 12 seconds in front of Happy Hakkinen, with Coulthard in third 1
min 27 seconds behind him. Barichello was fourth with the final points
positions being Fisichella in the Benetton and Pedro de la Rosa in the
Arrows.
The Championship standings are now M. Schumacher (Ferrari) 46 points,
Hakkinen (McLaren Mercedes) 28, Coulthard (McLaren Mercedes) 24, Barrichello
(Ferrari) 16, R. Schumacher (BMW Williams) 12, Fisichella (Benetton) 10,
Frentzen (Jordan) 5, Villeneuve (BAR) 5, Trulli (Jordan) 4, Button (BMW
Williams) 3, Salo (Sauber) 1, Zonta (BAR) 1, de la Rosa (Arrows) 1.
Test Time for Phuttharaksa
Phuttharaksa Nikree, Thailand’s best single sculler,
will leave this week for the first regatta in the World Cup series for
Rowing in Munich, Germany.
It will be her first regatta since last year’s
brilliant silver medal at the Asian Championships (Japan) and qualification
for the Sydney 200 Olympic Games.
Coach Gay Horan has been working closely with
Phuttharaksa, monitoring her progress both on and off the water with
concentration on improving her charges’ upper body strength, training 3
times a week at their sponsored venue, Royal Garden Spa and Fitness Club in
Pattaya.
With most weeks comprising 150 km rowing and around 6
hours strength training at the gym, it has been a gruelling test, so far,
mentally as much as physically.
“It is now time to test Phuttharaksa’s improvement
with racing,” Coach Horan says.
The 3 race series of the World Cup for rowing will
showcase the world’s best in the sport from over 18 nations.
Phuttharaksa, with backing from the Sports Authority of
Thailand and the Rowing and Canoeing Association will compete in all three
regattas, Munich, Germany; Vienna, Austria and Lucerne in Switzerland over
the next 6 weeks, before returning to train again in Thailand and on to
Australia for the Olympic Games.
“I am looking forward to a challenge and to see if I am
going faster than last year,” Pack says. “It will be nice to train in
some cooler weather also; it is so hot in Thailand this time of year.”
Temperature in Europe will indeed be more suited to such
long and intensive training sessions, which can last up to 2 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, other scullers who will represent their
country will be training hard for the coming South East Asian Championships,
held in Malaysia in July.
Thailand rowers will be hoping to repeat their performances as the top
South East Asian rowing nation at this year’s championships.
PH3 Run 845
How was this week’s run? Why ask me - I cited a
niggling groin injury and so kept quite near the beer truck. So lets ask the
runners themselves. Karamba (first in but it turned out he shortcutted)
“nice run but could have been a bit longer.” Seamanator (US Navy,
brought in a few mates from the Samurai Hash Japan, good guys) “good trail
sir, bit short sir, can I have a beer sir.” Rotten Banana (old time
hasher, nice to see him back with his mate Hoser) - “worst run I’ve been
on this year.” Sir Airhead (needs no introduction, you know him, front
runner, sex on legs, runs a bar somewhere) - “good run - back to
traditional values.” Noi (some Thai crack, name could have been Nit) -
“no like run, no noodle stalls, why you make me run through water, I no
swim.” And finally Teeny Weeny (slim, fit, always first back except for
this week, that’ll teach you) - “Too short.” By the way Fossil came in
10th, obviously she has lost it. Back to the steroids love.
After the 97 runners had done what they do after a run
(Boy George, we’re looking at you), circle time. Raffle by Ewok (the
highlight for a lot of people), and then Hares on ice - Spaghetti Head and a
mystery hare who was.... Mrs Head. Wow, you had us going there mate. I
thought some celeb was going to step forward but no, it was your missus. Oh
well, I bet you thought it was funny.
Returners, visitors - 2 Samurai hashers on ice for being
cheap bastards! Not buying a shirt, and then time for the R.A. Zorro became
hash scout for leading most of the pack through the many dykes (water kind,
not what you are thinking). Flying Frog and Jazzer in for some indecent
exposure - family hash guys, keep it in please). Grand Master in for broken
window over 10 baht. Did you get his number Sir or had the Chang taken over?
VV in for being a trasher again. After last week’s sheet, surely he should
be hash s@#t for life or until he gets a decent haircut. Some Aussie named
Ruper Jeffrey (he rings the bell in Delaney’s girls - loads of money, grab
him if you can) got named. I’m too shy to tell you what his name was. Read
it in the stats report on Page 3. It’s not very nice though. U.S. Navy
iced, all 10 of them and it wasn’t a pretty sight. Some more things
happened but I had lost the plot by then as I’d been putting the Heinekens
away in honour of my brother’s birthday (if your reading this Kev, hope
you had a good one). I do remember that Hoser was honoured for his 200th run
and I got iced for being a loud mouth - nothing new there.
End of circle and back to the Scandi Bar for the usual
excellent fare. Pegleg, you should be a hash hero. At the Scandi, Dick with
Ears (samurai hash) summed it up. He said, “You guys do it like hashers
should do.” Nuff said.
On-On, Dr Pinky
Triumph Cup to be sailed this weekend
The Triumph Cup 2000 will be sailed off the Royal
Varuna Yacht Club this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27 & 28.
All members of the RVYC and their invited guests and
all classes recognized by the RVYC are eligible to participate, but all
helms must be female.
This is an Open Class race and only Optimists will race
as a separate class.
Starting times are 14:00 for multihulls and 14:07 for
monohulls on Saturday, May 27. 11:00 for multihulls and 11:07 for
monohulls on Sunday, May 28.
Briefings will be held at 13:00 on Saturday and 10:00
on Sunday. The race officer is Mark Kovalesky.
The course will be one of the RVYC Standard Courses
with two back-to-back races each day. The time limit is 70 minutes per
race, 15 minutes between first and last boat.
The handicap will be wind adjusted, and the scoring
will be done on the low point scoring system.
Prizes will be awarded in both the Open and the Optimist classes, with
1 prize for every 5 boats in each class.
PSC Golf - May/June 2000
Lewiinski’s start the week on Sunday 28th May with a
Stableford competition at Noble Place, leaving at 09.45 a.m. On Monday 29th
March, PSC Golf from the Cafe Kronborg goes to Natural Park Hill and Hare
House go to Treasure Hill, both playing Stableford. Lewiinski’s go to
Great Lake to play a best 3 from 4 Stableford.
On Tuesday the 30th, the Bunker make the trip to Treasure
Hill to play Stableford, while Lewiinski’s go to Bangpra for a Team
Stableford competition.
Wednesday 31st May ends the month with Hare House going
to Sattahip to play Bogey, and Lewiinski’s play Stableford at Khao Kheow.
June here already with two Stableford competitions on Thursday the 1st -
the Cafe Kronborg goes to Bangpra and Lewiinski’s to Great Lake. On Friday
2nd June two local courses are on offer, Phoenix with Hare House and Siam
Country Club with Lewiinski’s.
Steve Ross birthday golf tourney
On Monday May 29th Steve Ross, the golf manager at
Lewiinski’s/Orchid Golf Society will be celebrating his 50th Birthday by
holding a special golf tournament at Rayong Green Valley Country Club.
All are invited for this auspicious occasion, which
will consist of 18 holes Singles Stableford. The entry fee includes green
fee, caddie fee, trophy and place prizes, many technical and mystery
prizes and of course a free buffet including Pig on a Spit back at
Lewiinski’s Hotel.
Things are on the move at Lewiinski’s/Orchid with
memberships now available at 500 baht. This includes free golf shirt,
reduced entry fee for daily tournaments (150 baht members/200 baht non
members) and free subscription for the first year (200 baht/year
thereafter).
Also, members will receive preferential consideration
for limited place golf trips which take place at Soi Dao, Khow Yai and
other locations.
Membership takes effect from June 1st as does the
decision to adopt Congu Rule 15.1, which means the maximum handicap for
all Lewiinski’s/Orchid tournaments will be 28 for gents and 36 for
ladies.
Don’t forget there are organised tournaments 6 days a week, so if you
would like to join, call into Lewiinski’s or call Steve Ross on
01-8632156 or Steve Mascari/Stan Fry at 429444/420712.
Fitness Tips: Have a look at
your technique
by David Garred
Club Manager Dusit Resort Sports Club
G’Day All,
At work, as my club members will testify, I am forever
going on about technique. There are so many different approaches in play
to achieve the same result in the health and fitness industry that if I
had a dollar for every one I would no longer be working in the industry.
As a matter of fact I would no longer need to work.
However, if I had a dollar for every technique that
works in reducing weight, for example every single time for the
predominant part of society, I would be living way below the poverty line.
In actual fact I would have $1 to my name.
The right balance of exercise and good eating is the
singularity here.
Balance must be found; balance in each and every case.
Please read on.
Attempts to lose weight are almost as common
as getting out of bed
As a result of obesity being such a problem in modern
societies, it’s to be expected that attempts to lose weight would be
common. According to a survey of over 100,000 Americans aged over 18
years, almost 1 in 4 men and 1 in 2 women are attempting to lose weight at
any one time. A further 35% of men and 34% of women are consciously trying
to maintain their weight.
The most common technique used to lose weight is to
reduce fatty foods (he holds his hands in the air and thanks someone for
finally the majority of society has the concept). However, most people
doing this do not concentrate on eating less calories (his hands and head
drop toward the ground with a sigh of exasperation; alas, this explains
why fat consumption in the US has decreased but obesity is continuing to
rise). The over-use (consumption) of low fat foods in big meals is common
in the US and could compensate for the reduction. All that extra energy
going in even though it is not originally fat will be stored as fat if it
is not used or burned off quickly.
Only about 20% of men and women reported carrying out
the right combination of diet and exercise that would result in weight
loss. Men trying to lose weight have an average body weight of around
90kg, with a desired goal of 81kg. Women trying to lose have an average
weight of 70kg, with an ideal or desired goal of 59kg. The fact that few
are doing things right would suggest that these goals are unlikely to be
achieved - at least by most overweight people.
Although a large proportion of the population is trying
to lose weight at any one time, few seem to be going about it the right
way.
Let me quote the good Dr. Iain Corness, these people
are “eating themselves to death”, reducing the fat content and
exercising regularly is a great start but you must keep the meal size down
and look at when you are eating also.
Find your (energy) balance and you can take that
unnecessary weight off.
P.S. Good luck to the Pattaya Panthers in their assault
on the Phuket International 10’s Rugby Tournament.
Carpe’ Diem
Jimmy Little conquers the navy
PSC Pattaya Golf Society from The Bunker
On the 16th of May, the Bunker Boys went to Sattahip
for a Stableford competition. A perfect day for golf saw Jimmy Little sink
the navy course with a sparkling 40 points, his best score ever off his 19
handicap.
In second place was the Lancaster Lad himself, Wilf
Latham with 35, and in third was Bill Carter with 33 points.
Division Two saw Ray Beardsley win with 43 points. Les
Winch came second with 36 and golfing guru Mick Jones placed third with
34.
Near pins went to Ray Beardsley, Jimmy Little, Mike
Parsons and Wilf Latham.
At the presentation in the Bunker, Jimmy Little put his success down to
playing in the same group as the golfing guru who gave Jimmy several on
the course.
Copyright 2000 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596; e-mail: [email protected]
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk. |
Pattaya Sports
Club Homepage:
|
|
| |
|
