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Thai Barbarians beat the British to win the Cup Final at the 4th Annual Pattaya Rugby 10s
Brendan Richards
Defending champions, the British Club just weren’t
quick enough to put the Thai Barbarians off balance in the Pattaya Rugby 10’s
tournament played on May 3 & 4. The Thai Ba Baas (as they are
affectionately known) pulled off a 17 to 12 victory over the British Club in
the Cup Final held at the Horseshoe Point Country Club & Resort.
Surrey
Pirates do their YMCA at half time.
Cup
Winners, The Thai Barbarians.
Telawi
Touch at Shenanigans take home their runners up trophy in the Ladies Cup
competition.
The
Bangkok Bunnies, complete with ears, graciously accept Cup.
The
Southerners’ Soul Sisters with their Plate were joined by Jim Howard and
Landlord Kim Fletcher.
Bangkok
Japanese player readies to pass the ball to a teammate before being tackled.
Yet another year has rolled round and the Pattaya Rugby
10’s tournament has finally come of age, as teams from around the Asian
region and Thailand gathered in Pattaya for a weekend of fun and games and
some rugby too!
The hot weather played havoc with players, as
temperatures and tempers soared on the pitch - most notably some of the
ladies lost their cool with the referee.
The first day of competition saw a few teams pull out of
the competition, leaving a mixed team of players to make a team called the
Tsunami Pot Bellied Dulwich Pigs. Despite the strange mixture of names the
games continued.
The ladies touch rugby sides starred on the first day
with the finals being played on Saturday afternoon. In the Plate Final it
was Bangkok Southerners vs. Laos Khaos. A hard round of touch in the
afternoon heat was the just the perfect setting for the Southerners, as they
defeated the Laotian visitors.
In the Cup Final, the veterans of ladies touch rugby, not
necessarily veterans themselves, the Bangkok Bunnies, aka Pattana B team,
were matched against the Telawi touch team from Kuala Lumpur, ably or
disably trained by ex-Panther Jeremy Coles, who joined the team in Pattaya
for a weekend of drinking and rugby on the side. Presentations were later
held at Shenanigans, and Jenny Bower from the Bangkok Bunnies was
unanimously voted as player of the tournament.
Of course all this rugby doesn’t come without the main
event, the infamous ‘Quaich’, known in the world of Asian expat rugby as
the mother of all pub crawls where the home team and visitors battle it out
for points and drinks around the city, taking up challenges to gain the
maximum score for style and expertise in drinking and partying.
Jim
Howard (left) presents the captain of Surin with the plate trophy.
Eddie
Evans (left) from British Club accepts runners up trophy in the cup final.
Thai
Barbarians captain with the Pattaya Rugby 10’s Cup. "We’ll be back
to defend our title."
Darren
Weatherby (centre) is awarded the Chris Kays Memorial Trophy, which was
presented by Ray Kays (right), Chris’ father.
Panties
ready themselves for the Quaich, a jug of kamikaze cocktail to jump-start
the evening.
Bangkok
Japanese and the Pattaya Crusaders ruck for the ball.
Last year’s champions, the Pattaya Panties, defended
their title with honor. The Southern ‘Soul Sisters’ were not too far
behind in the running, but it was during the final tallying that
discrepancies were taken account of, most notably the acquiring of the stamp
and using it to their advantage.
Judging by the hangovers on Sunday the previous night’s
activities went off as a huge success and players gathered their strength
for another round on the pitch at Horseshoe Point for the mixed touch
tournament, starting at around 9 a.m.
However, it was the high standard of play in the men’s
semis and final that drew the interest of spectators. Despite much carnage
the previous day, during which time a number of players were carted away by
the waiting Bangkok Pattaya Hospital ambulance, the finals lived up their
expectations.
The Bowl Final saw a combined Pattaya Crusaders team take
on the Bangkok Japanese, who also came equipped with their cheer squad. The
Bangkok Japanese, known for their tenacity on the field, played
exceptionally well to sweep the Crusaders off their feet and take the bowl
with a winning score of 39 points to the Pattaya Crusaders 7.
Next up, the two Thai University Teams, Surin University
and Dhurakijpundit. As mentioned before injuries were widespread through the
tournament and the Plate Final was no exception. The university teams played
hardball, and three of the Surin players had to be carted off the field.
These two closely matched teams, and certainly a tribute to Thai rugby,
played exceptionally well, but it was the boys from the Northeast, Surin who
narrowly defeated the boys from Bangkok with a final score, Surin 14 to
Dhurakijpundit 12.
Jenny
Bower, ladies player of the tournament in full flight in the final.
Paul
Crouch, Kim Fletcher, Graham Macdonald and tournament commentator Neil Smith
concentrating on the match at hand in their own special way.
Southerners
(orange jerseys) heading for the try line in final against Laos Khaos
(white).
Telawi
international touch specialists take to the field for the Ladies Cup final.
Telawi
players (purple shirts) on the defense against the Pattana B team (aka
Bangkok Bunnies) in the closing minutes of the cup final.
In the final match of the weekend, for the Rugby 10s Cup,
defending champions British Club faced the Thai Barbarians. At kick-off the
teams leapt into action, playing hard and fast, with both teams evenly
taking possession of the ball during the first half. It was, however, the
Barbarians that drew first blood with a well set up try against the
defending champs.
At halftime the action off the field heated up as the
visiting British Army team, aka the Surrey Pirates, aka Pirbright Pirates,
entertained spectators with a lively dance routine to the tune of YMCA by
the Village People, and were certainly a sight to behold. The Pirates are
known in rugby circles for their festive antics on and off the field.
The halftime break had obviously done its job as the Thai
Ba Bas scored their first try within a minute of the kick off. Not to be
outdone BC quickly answered with a try of their own, setting a blistering
pace for the final game of the tournament. Close to full time the odds were
looking fairly even but the Thai Barbarians, scoring and converting a try in
the closing seconds of the game, took the victory at 17 points to the
British Club’s 12.
With all games complete, it was off to the poolside for a
BBQ party and prize presentation. Lot’s of beer was seen entering the
pool, as were many of the players, as they were kindly picked up and cooled
off by the Pirates, still in a very festive mood.
Jimmy Howard, Panther chairman, thanked everyone for
joining in the 4th Pattaya Rugby 10’s Tournament and the sponsors, who
without them such events would be difficult to hold.
Jim also announced a name change for the Pattaya Rugby 10’s,
"I’ve decided, and I’m not taking votes on it, the tournament will
be known, as of next year, as the Chris Kays Memorial Tournament."
The announcement received a roaring cheer from everyone.
Chris Kays, former captain of the Pattaya Panthers, well
loved by all who knew him, was killed in the Bali bombing last October while
on a rugby tour. He is remembered for his joviality and zest for life and
love of the game.
Presentations continued until it was time to award, as
Jimmy Howard put it, "Probably the trophy of the tournament, the Chris
Kays Memorial Trophy."
Kyle Podziewski from the Tsunami Teetotalers announced
his team’s own Chris Kays Trophy, which went to Craig Powers from the
Surrey pirate. However, it was ‘Dirty’ Darren Weatherby, complete with
blond and pink dyed hair, who was honored with the trophy for his
performance over the weekend.
The tournament received a special treat, as Chris’
parents Ray & Lynn Kays visited from the UK. One of the many things that
Ray and Lynn wanted to do was to present the Chris Kays’ Memorial Trophy.
This trophy was intended for the person who contributed the most to the
tournament, both on and off the field, over the three days. During the
tournament, Darren scored a solo try, made another two for fellow team
mates, shrugged off injury, danced like a professional, dyed his hair pink,
wore a slinky dress, and never once stopped smiling, epitomizing the spirit
of Chris’ good nature.
Once the formalities were complete the Quaich prize was
awarded. Ah yes, the Quaich, the ladies dressed in bunny ear and nuns
outfits were well in the running for the most festive team on tour but, as
mentioned before, discrepancies were noted by the judges. The girls
apparently or allegedly, depending the point of view, acquired the stamp
from one the venues and commenced stamping all the necessary cards to gain
points. The judges disqualified them for their ingenuity and announce the
Surrey Pirates as Quaich Champions for 2003. Undoubtedly a rematch will be
in order for next year.
| Pattaya Rugby 10’s Results
Cup Final
Thai Barbarians 17 def. British Club 12
Plate Final
Surin University 14 def. Dhurakijpundit
University 12
Bowl Final
Bangkok Japanese 39 def.
Pattaya Crusaders 7
Player of the Tournament
Pacharpong ‘Bong’ Samaksaman (Surin Uni.)
Chris Kays Memorial Trophy
‘Dirty’ Darren Weatherby
Tsunami Teetotalers Chris Kays Award
Craig Powers (Surrey Pirates)
Mixed Touch Plate
JWCB / Southerners
Ladies Touch Tournament
Cup Winners
Bangkok Bunnies (aka Pattana B) def.
Telawi Touch
Plate Winners
Bangkok Southerners def. Laos Khaos
Player of the Tournament
Jenny Bowers (Bangkok Bunnies) |
Papa Ray Rogers 88th Birthday Scramble
Ann Drader fires hole-in-one
P.S.C. Golf
Thursday May 8
Pattaya Country Club
(Scramble)
Well, I’ve got the cap that says PSC Ray Rogers
Birthday Tournament Pattaya Country Club 88 May 2003, come to think of it I’ve
also got the umbrella, the towel, the bag, etc., that mark the passing of
the years, and probably so do 120 or so of his closest friends. All paid for
out of Ray’s pocket, as is the food that is laid on twice a year, out of
the goodness of his heart. Do you realise that when Ray was born The Kaiser
was attacking that ‘Contemptible Little Army in France’? How much he
must have seen of a changing world, and still he finds time to entertain his
friends at his age, a most remarkable man.
Papa
Ray looking pensive but happy on his 88th birthday.
Runners-up
Stefan Hoge, Bob Morrison, Larry Ball and Frank Polizotto.
The
ladies team came in third: Ann Drader, Ning Fletcher, Lisa Chaiyusit and Tai
Kennedy.
The day is always a scramble and is usually organised by
his friends, mainly ‘The Admiral and The Warlock’ who seem to make the
day flow effortlessly from booking in, to starting, to collection of cards,
to issue of Ray’s gifts, to the prizes. Ray of course supervises the food
and Bjarne and the staff work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a
smooth problem-free day that is always enjoyed by all who turn up to wish
Ray Happy Birthday.
On the day, 136 or so teed off starting at 0930 in
scramble teams of 4, using both tees on a course that had been well prepared
for this competition by the staff at the club. Getting that many around the
course is not easy and of course we had the normal aggravation of the odd
group slipped in the middle, but what the heck, everyone smiled and sat and
chatted and then got on with it.
All in all it was a very pleasant walk around not
particularly spoiled by the missed putts, only by the low scores that seemed
to defy logic. We do have a lot of scramble experts, pity my team was not
one of them, still there’s always next year, Ray’s too ornery to miss
his own birthday party.
Having
a healthy helping of good food.
The day’s
team winners, M Hanfelt, P Elison, P Lomm and M Johansson
Hole in
one winner Anne Drader with Bernie and Diamond Dave.
George
wrestles with the results helped(?) by Wayne.
Golf over it was back to Ray’s where he opens his house
to his guests, and sit outside whilst the competitors slowly filtered in and
the tables filled up, all testing the cold drinks and the snacks laid on
until the food was ready, whilst at the desk George, Dave and Bernie strove
to make sense of the cards and formulate the results. One of the good things
about a scramble is you only get a quarter of the number of cards. Thanks to
the team for their hard work.
Then the food came out, lots and lots of the tastiest
morsels, and the timid were trampled in the rush. Sitting there near the
food I was amazed at how much some people can eat and I resolved never to
open an ‘Eat All You Can’ shop whilst certain people are in town.
Compliments to the chefs; they did an excellent job.
Then it became time for the results, with our star
presenter ‘Diamond Dave’, with four team prizes and the issue of a
special prize to Ann Drader for a hole in one at the 17th, a really
difficult par three.
In the main scramble competition the scores were
stupendous with the winners M Hanfelt, P Elison, P Lomm and M Johansson
coming in winners with a magnificent net 54.4 ahead of in second Bob
Morrison, Frank Polizotto, Stefan Hoge and Larry Ball also with a great
score of net 56.4. Just behind in third came the ladies team, obviously
helped by Ann’s hole in one, of Tai Kennedy, Ning Fletcher, Lisa Chaiusit
and Ann Drader with a net 56.5. In fourth place with a very creditable net
57.4 came the team of Wayne Koch, John Swanson, Jay Perrin and Frank
Sinclair.
Presentation over the lucky draw was held, and all the
golfers who were there and had not won went home with something.
Thanks to all who helped and to The Golf Shop for good
prices and Sriracha for the cheap green fee tickets.
The day over, all departed and allowed Ray to get a good
night’s sleep.
Near pins: #5 John Cahill, #7 Alan Pearce, #16 Bernie
Tuppin and #16 Ann Drader (hole in one).
Long putts: #9 Alan Bishop and #18 Niel Skilton.
Pattaya Pool League
Camel CHARITY Classic
Summer Tournament
Century Golf Course
Saturday 17th May 2003, Tee Off’s : 06.30-11.30
Format : 4 Person Scramble, 5000 Baht per Team
all proceeds to
The Saint Camillus Foundation of Thailand
Sponsorship needed
Remember your Corporate donations are
TAX DEDUCTABLE
Golf Cart’s are limited to 1 per team, please book early
(do not book your own)
To Register please contact Dennis on 0 1822 2896,
Terry, 0 1833 7148 or Ronnie, 0 1831 4050 or
Email [email protected] or sign up at The Camel
Buffet and Presentation of the Trophies
and Prizes will be at
The Camel Pub and Restaurant
at 18.00 afterwards
Mickey Mouse Darts League
Cheers had a bye week
Lindsay from the Bunker has now achieved
the league’s highest checkout for the season to date, 152.
Domicil back in third place
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
Domicil moved back into third place after beating Three
Sisters and taking all four points.
200
bowlers: Mio, Nut, Sven and Lek.
Cafe Ole remained in second place after a close match
with House of the Golden Coin, as each team took two points. Jim led Cafe
Ole with a 567 series and Mio led her House of the Golden Coin with a 213
game and 577-pin count. Nut, playing as a spare, had a 200 game and good 557
series.
VFW Post 9876 dropped from third place to fifth after
losing all four points to last place Winchester Club. Sven was best for
Winchester with a 200 game and 574 series, 664 with handicap. Tue rolled a
572 series for VFW Post 9876.
Jack & Tar came back to win two points in the last game from Nice
& Sleazy as Lek knocked down 210 pins, 253 with handicap.
Rubber room boys win
Pattaya Lawn Bowls Summer Season
The rubber room boys’ team, Asylum 2’s Big Gary and
Sir Bob started off the new summer league with a fantastic win against Wing
Commander Brendan and Diver Daz of the Desert Rats, with bombs coming from
both sides as they blew away the bowls on the night. Brendan had to retreat
and raise the white flag.
Carlsberg Kids started well by beating the New Guys,
Dennis the Menace and Irish Paul. Tartan Bar Scots Willy and Peter Sid had a
very close game against the very popular team Chaplin Spam Heads, Vodka
Willy and Hair Bear Bunch Curly winning on the last end to give Tartan boys
a great start to the season.
Team of the Week: Asylum 2
Match of the Week: Tartan Bar v Chaplin Spam H
Player of the Week: Bob Carroll of Asylum 2
Results May 8 (week 1): Chaplin Spam Heads 11 v 15 Tartan Bar, Carlsberg
Kids 18 v 7 New Guys, Desert Rats17 v 21 Asylum 2.
Pattaya Sports Club Thursday Night Darts
The Erawan Challenge 2003
Adventure Racing (Thailand) has announced the third
annual Erawan Challenge will be held on Sunday 1 June 2003. Sponsored by
Inlingua, the race is set in the beautiful Erawan National Park,
approximately 60k north of Kanchanaburi.
This year, there will be three race courses, the Extreme
course for the more serious competitors, the Adventure course for the ‘weekend
warriors’ and a new category for 2003, the Youth Challenge.
A short dash will take competitors from the start area to
the River Kwai for the beginning of the falls climb. Both senior races will
be approximately 10 kilometres long with the Extreme covering more jungle
running, trail running and hill climbs. All competitors will ascend through
cascading waterfalls, waist deep rock-pools, through gullies and over
numerous obstacles on the way to the top. Racers will then descend along
jungle tracks back to the race finish area.
It is expected that leading teams for the Adventure
Course will finish the race in around three and a half hours and the extreme
course taking over four hours. Teams will be 2 persons, with male, female,
mixed and a masters category where the combined age of the team is over 90
years. Entries will be limited to 100 teams.
The Youth Challenge will be open to people between the
ages of 16 and 20 years. The course will take competitors along jungle
trails, through the waterfalls to eventually reach the top. The race
organizers have included the youth category due the tremendous interest
shown by young people to take part in evens of this nature.
If you have never competed in adventure type race, this
will be the best introduction you could have. It will not be too difficult
to deter newcomers to compete, as the Adventure course has been designed for
newcomers to reach the top. For the more seasoned racers there is the
Extreme course with more difficult routes and sufficient challenges on the
way to test both skill and nerves.
For further information please contact: Peter Bond, tel.
(66-2) 656 7732 (English), tel. (66-2) 656 9486 (Thai), fax: (66-2) 656
7736, email: [email protected] or visit the website: www.
adventureracingthailand.com
Fitness Tips: On the flip side ... the worst foods
Part 2 - The rest of the list
G’day Readers,
Continuing with the Top Ten Foods that will minimise your
nutrition but maximize your waist line, here are the rest:
White chocolate Mocha Latte with whole milk and whipped
cream - This is not your average cup of coffee! It’s more like a milkshake
packed with 600 calories and 15 grams of saturated fat. Ditch the whipped
cream and use skim milk instead and you’ll save up to 200 calories.
King size french-fries - a whopping 600 calories, 30
grams of fat (16gms of which are the artery-clogging saturated plus trans
fats!) and a super-sized waist line is what you’ll get for super-sizing
your fries at the fast food joint. Try eating a small order of fries or even
better, how about a baked potato instead?
Regular chicken noodle soup - Brimming with salt, a half
a can averages about 1100 mg of sodium. That’s almost half your daily
quota. Go for the low-sodium brands instead.
Chips fried in Olean (olestra) - This indigestible fat
substitute’s generic name is called sucrose polyester (sounds appetising,
eh?). Olean doesn’t provide any calories, but in many people it causes
gastrointestinal distress - some people have said they suffered such severe
cramps or diarrhea that they had to see their doctor. Olean also reduces the
body’s absorption of carotenoids. How about the baked, low-fat potato or
tortilla chips, or for an even healthier crunchy snack, how about some raw
veggies like carrots and celery dipped in a raspberry vinaigrette?
Now, if you are thinking I’m really out of my tree,
just hang on, there is a qualifier at the end of the article.
Restaurant skillet-style breakfasts that include eggs,
home fries, bacon, sausage and cheese - that would be the fried American
breakfast, but you English fry up fans are not off the hook, yours has the
same basic lack of nutritional content. Neither of them are exactly the
healthiest choice out there, considering the meal alone will give you at
least 1220 calories, 70 grams of fat (19 of them saturated) and 1820 mgs of
sodium. Of course, that’s if you don’t throw in the optional sour cream
and guacamole for the Yanks. For a healthier alternative, try a couple of
scrambled eggs or egg whites with 2 or 3 pancakes or toast and small side of
fruit pieces and cottage cheese. Fruit salad will go along well and a tall
glass of juice and you are on a winner.
OK, here is the qualifier for those of you that were
seriously thinking of disregarding the entire article written by and for
lunatic, health freaks. I’ve said it before, I’m saying it here and I’ll
say it again: Moderation is the key. You can’t deprive yourself of all the
fun stuff to eat, it just doesn’t work. If you are good to your body 6
days a week then rest and enjoy the 7th day, whichever day that may be. Go
forth - eat, drink and be merry one day each week and you will be able to
take better care of yourself in the long term. That’s something very
similar to the line of thought Dr. Iain expressed a couple of weeks ago in
his Modern Medicine article and it is the same basic teaching you will get
from anyone that is practical about the functions of the human body and its
perpetual struggle with general well being.
Remember, healthy eating and regular exercise, everything
above will help with your healthy eating plan and keep an eye out here for
further nutritional tips as well as exercise advice.
Carpe’ Diem
Joe Mooneyham turns 46
IPGC Golf From Lewiinski’s
Sunday - 4th of April
Green Valley - White Tees
Stableford
1st Place A Flight - Joe Mooneyham - 46 points
2nd Place A Flight - Gerry Power - 37 points
3rd Place A Flight - Klaus Schackt - 37 points
1st Place B Flight - Mark Grygiel - 38 points
2nd Place B Flight - Colin Davis - 37 points
3rd Place B Flight - Larry Nicholas - 36 points
Alas, as always seems the case, there is good news and
there is bad news. The bad news is that the title does not match up with the
age on Joe’s drivers license, but the good news is that Joe terrorized the
tough Green Valley layout by shooting 10 under his handicap, which
translated to 46 points and 75 off the stick. His superb effort made the
credible rounds of A Flight mates Gerry Power and Klaus Schackt feel like
also-rans, despite each bettering their handicaps. Mark Grygiel, Colin Davis
and Larry Nicholas had the good sense to slide into B Flight, thus avoiding
Joe. They finished 1, 2 and 3, respectively.
Tuesday - 6th of May
Laem Chabang -
White Tees
Stroke/Medal
1st Place A Flight - John Hillier - net 73
2nd Place A Flight - John Emmerson - net 74
3rd Place A Flight - Gary Blackwell - net 77
1st Place B Flight - Joe Mooneyham - net 76
2nd Place B Flight - Colin Davis - net 78
3rdPlace B Flight - Jeff Walker - net 81
U-G-L-Y. That is all that really needs to be said about
this week’s effort on the A and B sides of Laem Chabang. Wiry and
unforgiving Bermuda rough that does little to support a slightly wayward
golf ball now borders the typically well-manicured fairways and greens.
Competitors routinely found their golf ball to be 6-8 inches down and even
the strength of Tiger Woods might have been insufficient to make a decent
out. Eleven of the 26 competitors fell to the ignominy of a "No
Return" round. Those left standing were led in A Flight by John Hillier
and in B Flight by the man of the week, Joe Mooneyham.
Wednesday -
7th of April
Natural Park Hill - White Tees
Stableford
1st Place A Flight - John Emmerson - 36 points
2nd Place A Flight- Eddie Blackwell - 35 points
1st Place B Flight - Seamus Brennan - 36 points
2nd Place B Flight - Mike Craighead - 34 points
Natural Park Hill, which many consider to be the premier
test of par 72 golf on the Eastern Seaboard, bared the teeth of its tight
fairways and undulating greens to ensure that no one broke their handicap.
Those that equaled theirs, John Emmerson and Seamus Brennan, led A Flight
and B Flight, respectively. Eddie Blackwell, who is returning to form after
working with local pro Ian Ashenden, took the runner-up spot in A, while
good friend of all and Philippine resident Mike Craighead did likewise in B.
Mike is finalizing plans to relocate to Pattaya so you may see that name in
the lights more frequently.
Friday - 9th of May
Khao Kheow - A & B - Yellow Tees
Stroke/Medal
1st Place - John Hillier - net 72
2nd Place - Rick Sharp - net 73
3rd Place - Pete Stonebridge - net 76
John Hillier stood atop the podium for the second time on
the week, being the only man in the field to equal his handicap. In a return
to form, Rick "The Hermit" Sharp was but one back at 73. Pete
Stonebridge, the new owner of the Classroom A-Go-Go, showed he is
acclimating to the combination of business and pleasure as he copped the
final spot in the prizewinners.
One handicapper Don pars
the course
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society with The Bunker
May 6th had the Bunker Boys & Girls travel to far off
Noble Place for their weekly medal tournament on the B & C courses.
With several regulars returning to their native lands for
the summer a smaller than usual field had 2 divisions, John King winning
division 2 with a net 68 followed by Norman Brookes on net 73.
The course was in excellent condition and this reflected
in division 1 scores with Bob Morrison shooting a net 71 tying with
holidaymaker Don Lomas who shot a gross 72 playing off a handicap of 1.
The other players in Don’s group all remarked that it
was a delightful experience to see how golf can be played.
There was no 2s scored and the Bunker Bananas were
awarded to 6 handicapper Magnus Johansson for his 90+ gross round.
Seamus does it again
May 9th saw the Bunker Boys & Girls travel to the
peaceful and quite Chonburi Century Course.
The price and condition of this golf course must make it
one of the best value for money golf courses that is visited by the IPGC.
A small field with one division had Norman Brooks &
Per Aschen sharing 2nd place with 35 points with Seamus Brennan coming out
on top with 39 points.
Richard Wardell scooped the 2s award with a birdie on the
#7 par 3.
The Bunker Bananas were awarded to Bob Morrison in his
absence after he fled the scene when he realised he was the main contender.
Larry Ball celebrates in style
IPGC TAGGS Golf from The Haven
Monday 5th May
Century Ban Chan
Stroke Play
1st: Steve Mathews, 68
2nd: B.J. Smith, 71
3rd: Lamud Chaidara, 74 cb9 35
4th: Arthur Hancock, 74 cb9 37.5
As is not uncommon during a bank holiday, TAGGS travelled
to Century Ban Chan but this time were unlucky to find that several five and
six balls had started in front, which meant an extremely long five hour
stint, but all in all still a very enjoyable day’s golf.
Steve Mathews took his first win by a clear three shots
from B.J. who unfortunately faded a little over the back nine but was never
really in contention as Steve played some of the best golf since his arrival
in Thailand. Lamud just squeezed into third place by count back over playing
partner Arthur Hancock.
Back at The Haven Richard Livingston, the resident PGA
Professional, welcomed back Lamud Chaidara and Usa Chaiyosit to add a little
glamour to the day.
Lamud Chaidara had the only two of the day to sweep the
pool and add to her day’s collection of prizes.
Wednesday 7th May
Green Valley
Stableford
1st: Phil Groves, 38 points
2nd: Arthur Hancock, 37
3rd: Larry Ball, 36
4th: Jeff McLaury, 35 cb9 19
5th: Mo Bertrand, 35 cb9 17
Green Valley always favours the better golfers even if
the competition is a Stableford, as the course demands quality shots to
score hole after hole. It was therefore no surprise to find two of the
steadiest regulars heading the prize list with Phil Groves just getting the
better of Arthur Hancock to snatch first place. Larry Ball continued his
good run of form in the week at other venues to claim third in front of Jeff
McLaury and Mo Bertrand, the latter losing out on count back.
Prior to the prize giving Richard welcomed back Larry
Ball, Kenny Cooke and Paul Hartley the "Monkey Hanger".
The twos were shared between Usa Chaiyosit and Phil
Groves.
Friday 8th May
Burapha West
Bogey
1st: Larry Ball, 4 up
2nd: Stephen Beard, 1 up cb9, all-square
3rd: B.J. Smith, 1 up cb9, 1 down
4th: Richard Garland, 1 up cb9, 3 down
Following a last minute switch of venue caused by a
slight misunderstanding over the green fee, the competition got under way at
Burapha West off the blue tees and once again the players found the course
to be in excellent condition with the fairways and greens beautifully
manicured and making for great golf.
It was Larry Ball’s birthday and he started the
celebration early as he got off to fantastic start of 4 four up after the
front nine. He added another three wins to go seven up before the euphoria
got the better of him and he dropped the last three holes, but still
finished three clear shots from "The Doc", who headed a group on
one up by the usual count back from B.J. The win completed a week that saw
Larry secure two first places, a second and a third in the four competitions
that he competed in during the week. Not a bad birthday week.
Richard Garland, after leading four up, failed to keep
control of the drives as he slumped through the back nine and had to be
content with fourth place.
The twos pool was split between Richard Garland and
Trevor Schirmer.
City announces ‘Pattaya Master Games’ coming soon
Effort to make Pattaya a major centre
for international sports and tourism
Pattaya City’s latest idea in promoting tourism and
sports was announced at a recent meeting at Pattaya City Hall. The first
Pattaya Master Games is planned to take place from this September until
November next year.
Pisai
Panomwan Na Ayutthaya spoke at the recent Pattaya Master Games planning
meeting.
Punphon Kamutthira, director for Pattaya’s sports and
tourism committee, said activities planned for the event would include
soccer, beach soccer, ping pong, golf and martial arts and other sporting
activities.
The reasoning behind the event is to attract more
sportspersons from around the world to compete in the Master Games. The city
wants to improve its image by attracting athletes from the Asia Pacific and
European regions and promote Pattaya as an international sporting, travel
and eco friendly destination.
Officials aim to attract 3,000 European athletes in the
first round this September, featuring additional sports such as volleyball,
soccer, additional beach competitions in these sports, martial arts and a
battle of the bands competition.
The competition months have also been set from October this year till
March 2004 as well as May, September and November 2004. These activities are
expected publicize "Fun City" as the center of sports in Thailand
because of its beachside location and close proximity the nation’s
capital.
P.S.C. Golf From Bobby Joe’s 60s Bar
Friday May 9
Green Valley
(Stableford)
After a filling breakfast at The 60s Bar, the cars and
busses took off for Green Valley to enjoy a day of quality golf on a great
course and at a reasonable rate. Green Valley itself is now coming back to
its best and the fairways are looking fine and the greens are fast and
tricky. The Green Valley specialists tell me the course is nearly there.
Bobby
presents to Ted (C) and Frank (L)
Bobby
presents to Max (L) and Jack (R)
Bobby
presents to Derek (Not Again says Bobby)
At the course the booking in and moving to the start tee
went pretty smoothly for us and the sending off of a 3 ball first ensured a
pretty snappy pace, until as usual we came up behind slow players after 8
holes and a brake was put on. The first 3 ball got through and as such
finished way ahead of the rest.
The course being in such fine condition, the players were
caught out a little with the speed and the scores were not very high, but a
competitive day ended with 8 players within 1 shot. A fair result indeed as
the winner Derek Brook only beat John McHugh on count back.
The round finished, the players luxuriated in the fine
clubhouse showers and then a quick injection of fluid in the restaurant
before rushing back to Pattaya, as we all knew, on request, Bobby was
cooking his famous Baby Back Ribs.
On arrival back we watched through the smoke as Bobby
produced his masterpieces, and then with coleslaw and crusty bread all
tucked in to as many ribs as they could eat. Some people are scratch eaters
at Bobby Joe’s.
Food over, the presentation took place with many new
shirts and towels put into circulation, before the serious work of reducing
Bobby’s stock of Heineken was put into action.
Winner: Derek Brook
Near pins: #2 Ted Morris, #9 Eric O’Brien, #12 John
McHugh, and #16 Mr Nobody.
Long putts: #9 Mick O’Connor and #18 John McHugh.
Lucky draw: 1. Tim Holt, 2. Frank Sinclair, 3. Bob Benda, 4. Max Matthews
and 5. Jack Lenker.
Sattaya Golf holds 6th Pattaya- Phuket Amateur Ryder Cup
Songklod Kaewvisit
The opening of the 6th Pattaya-Phuket Amateur Ryder Cup
tournament was presided over by Pattaya Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat at
the Siam Country Club Golf Course.
The two
teams get ready for action.
This year marks the sixth event, this year held between
May 6-8, in which amateur players from Pattaya and Phuket compete against
each other in a format similar to that of the European and American Ryder
Cup tournaments.
The tournament is organized to enhance relationships of
people from the two resort towns and to develop a higher level of golf
skills among amateur players.
The first Pattaya-Phuket Amateur Ryder Cup golf
tournament was held on May 3, 1996, and has since been an annual event.
Matches are held alternatively between Pattaya and Phuket.
The tournament was divided into three categories; 6 pairs
of foursomes, 6 pairs of four ball, and 6 pairs of Match Play.
Mayor
Pairat Suttithamrongsawat (right) sets the balloons free to officially get
the golf tournament underway.
Getting
in a little practice putting before the round begins. Remember, the putter
is the most used club in your golf bag.
The mayor said he sees the event as a great way to encourage people to
travel to both Pattaya and Phuket and yet is another means of promoting
tourism for both of Thailand’s famous resort destinations. (Unfortunately,
it appears out intrepid reporter didn’t stick around long enough to find
out who won, but hopefully we can get that info to you soon.)
P.S.C. Golf from the Cafe Kronborg
Monday May 5
Pattaya Country Club
(Stroke)
So Dave says, ‘Let’s go to Pattaya Country Club on
the 5th, then we can all have a practice for Papa Ray’s Birthday
Competition’. ‘Why not,’ says I, so off we go with a goodly crew of
volunteers to play Pattaya at its steamy hottest.
Philippe
Berra
Ricky
Fergurson
The competition was played in two flights, A flight 0 to
18 and B flight 19 and above and the course was in fine, if hard, condition,
so some good scores were expected.
In the A flight Philippe Berra came out on top with a
fine net 69 ahead of a count back for second on net 73 which was won by Jeff
Johnson ahead of Bob Pearson in third. Steady Ebrahim was out of sorts and
did not finish in the frame.
In the B flight ‘Big Hearted’ Ricky Fergurson came back to form and
won with a net 69 ahead on count back of Dick Worden in second, also net 69.
In third place on net 75 was Len Dingemans beating Marie Rowels out of a
place on count back.
PSC Three Sisters Golf
Larry
Ball (left) won bragging rights, while Rod was left holding the bag in the
PSC Three Sisters golf outing at Siam CC last week. The rest of the story is
(hopefully) coming soon.
PH3 celebrates
1000th Run
In the beginning was Hanuman. And Hanuman gathered his
disciples around him and commanded them to go forth and spread his word and
teach the people to "Get biggy with Mr. Shiggy". And the disciples
known as Molly Kirgis and BJ did go forth and come to the wilderness then
known as Pattaya. And the people did flock to hear the word of Hanuman and
Molly and BJ’s tribe became known as the PH3 and did prosper. And their
tribe were baptized with ice-cold water for indeed they were the chosen
people.
After
their rockin’ dance performance, PH3 Harriettes mug for the camera.
(L to
R) Lady Di, Blowfly and Skinner Back in deep discussion about the vagaries
of hashing in Pattaya.
And Sir Chicken Fellow begat Chicken Nugget and Obewan
begat Daft Vader and Sir Airhead and Free Willy did begat anything in a
G-String and number on their breast. And many fell by the wayside and many
were punished, ice being Hanuman’s tool, but the PH3 continued to flourish
and increase as the multitude obeyed Hanuman’s commandments: "Thou
shalt follow paper", "Thou shalt not commit Rule 6" and
"The GM is always right" ... and Hanuman did look down upon his
people ... and Hanuman was pleased. And it came to pass that disciples from
around the world did flock to Pattaya to celebrate the 1000th run of the
PH3. Taken by bus out to the run site near the Siam Country Club, three runs
were set by various ex-GMs accommodating all abilities. I chose the normal
run which was simply a road run in and around the hallowed grounds of SCC.
Naturally in the best traditions of Hashing, the three
flat trials interlinked and this, along with the paper from a 50 kilometre
bike run led to most people getting lost and in 40C heat thankful to see the
A-Site come into view. All aboard the wheeled chariots for the short trip to
the A-Site venue at the Diana Resort. Food and drink in abundance plus
outside air cooling units making things more bearable but, as with all major
events in life, things did not go 100% to plan, but as always, those that
can do, those that can’t whinge and to the vocal moaning minnies I say
"Next time do it yourself".
Ex-GM
Lady Di interviews Snowflake for the Pattaya Mail.
Those
who could still stand were all smiles in the now infamous PH3 circle.
Ice has
been "Hanuman’s tool" for 1000 runs in Pattaya, and there was
plenty of it on the 1000th run.
For we had not come to bury Hanuman but to praise him, so
with 322 people forming a circle, our GM Fini, tenderly using his
microphone, commenced the evening’s religion. The ever-lovely Ewok
conducted the raffle (‘Hey’, I haven’t won for four weeks now Pheung,
what’s the matter, you no love me anymore?), then it was anniversary time.
Nuggets Nightmare completes 50 runs and Class A receives his 50 run mug.
Ringworm (fellow Leyton Orient supporter) gets his 100 run mug and Uncle
Pervy, wearing the original 1984 PH3 vest, completes 300 runs and Dr. Thrush
receives his 300 run mug.
Two birthdays, Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Deep Sleep
(ages not divulged!). The ex-GMs/Hares, SCF, B.J., GKW, Papa Whisky, Lady Di
and co., get iced. SCF saves me a cold posterior when the heavyweight
Hashers, Teeny Weeny, Captain Eric, Spunk Bubble and co. are called in to be
serenaded with the "Fat Bastard" song.
Snowflake leads a troupe of Thai dancers in a mercifully
short song while Derelict dances to it. A variety of visiting royalty from
around the globe are iced, mainly to fill up some time before Max from
Durban Hash challenges Haggissimo to a crude song contest. It’s left to
ex-Gold Coast Hash GM B.B. to show the two pretenders what a hash song is
really all about with a hilarious version of "Nick Nak Paddywack"
ably assisted by some sporting cracks.
Four members of the Simianar (where?) strip naked to
parade the circle warning us about Sars or some such and receive "yen
doots" for their trouble while SS sings to them about his
"Mother-in Law". That will teach you to scare the children boys.
SKC presents Fini with a 1000 Berlin Hash run t-shirt, it
will never last mein herr, and Noriega sings to us about the sexual
preferences of some friends of his before the highlight of the evening when
Ewok, Star Trek, Energiser Bunny and the T.Q. Tiller girls perform a couple
of dance routines that had the testosterone simply oozing out of every guy’s
pores.
Somewhere past the three hour mark cracks and the cracked
were called in to perform the Hash Hymn for the 1,000th time. After which it
was more food, more live music and of course more beer until the early
hours. A good day and much respect to the mismanagement. That’s it, see
you all again in 2023 for the 2,000th run and to the people I have left out
my apologies. Faces and fannies I never forget, but names are for
tombstones.
On On Free Willy
PH3 1000th Run - another view
Congratulations to the (Pattaya) Hash House Harriers for
a well organized, well planned event. There were a lot of tired people by
the time Monday rolled around. There may have been some disappointments but
the overhaul event was a blast! I hope the mismanagement team doesn’t
forget to publish a list of all those who were on the Nash Hash and the
1000th Run committees; they all did a great job and should be hash heroes.
The greatest idea may have been the addition of the Cool
Zone electric cool-mist blowing fans. Hats off to that team, as it was a
very hot day and just set us all in the mood for better things to come.
The Diana Garden Lodge and Driving Range was an excellent
location by our HHH-teams. There was lots of room, ideal shade, plenty of
drinks and some snacks for the always hungry crowd. It was beyond a doubt
the most beautiful and largest A-site we’ve ever had, with all that nice
green grass and the Diana people had it set up perfectly. It should also be
mentioned that the Diana crew were all professional and polite.
Thanks again to everybody. Great job!
Sincerely Jess Salazar A.K.A. ‘Poncho’
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
The local lads have been having at it lately with a
plethora of contests at various venues throughout the Kingdom. As usual
sometimes the results were good and sometimes bad. Seems the negative result
always came when Thais traveled to play road team.
Unbeaten WBC #9 ranked flyweight Noriyuki Komatsu (16-0)
"impressively kept his OPBF 112-pound belt as he displayed crisp
punching" as he dropped ex-Thai champ Phanomdetch Auyudhnakorn (26-12)
in rounds one and two before a flurry of punches brought the referees
intervention at 1:39 of the 5th round in Osaka. Never good losing a fight
but at least our local lad came out of the fight with something. What? He
got a Lawrence Welk. "A Lawrence Welk?" Yep he was down in "a
one ana two".
Closer to home, Bangkok to be exact, WBC#7 Medgoen
Singsurat (31-2) stopped Jun Magsipoc (16-16) to retain his ABC superfly
title in Bangkok. The end came at 1:46 of the 5th round for the visiting
Filipino. The name Medgoen Singsurat and his "handle" 3-K may be
familiar, if not his record is interesting to say the least. Of course at
"X baht" a word I always try to write the most not the least.
Singsurat destroyed Manny Pacquiao in 3 to win the WBC flyweight crown back
in 1999. Since that time Pacquaio has moved up in weight, gone 10-0 and
become one of the dominant fighters in boxing. Singsurat held the title less
than a year, loosing to Malcolm Tunacao via a TKO in 7. Pongsaklek
Wonjongkam would then KO Tunacao in 1 to win the title he still holds.
Lost in a maze of "live" boxing in the Kingdom
was the fact that WBC #1 superbantam Napapol Kiatisakchokchai (22-1; 18 KOs)
stopped game South African Simon Ramoni (16-6). The question is, "Will
this put him in line to fight champ Oscar Larios down the road? Only if that
road leads to Mexico, as Larios just defended in Japan and a road trip to
the Land of Smiles is probably not on his agenda. The immediate road for
Lasios, after his last defense in Japan, was the hospital where he had his
broken jaw set. Where did they set it? Hopefully at the bottom of his face.
Important WBC Flyweight fight coming up May 30 in Songkla,
maybe. Maybe? Yep maybe. The listing disappeared off the boxing landscape
last week for some reason. That aside, assuming that it happens, Thailand’s
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (46-2) gives Randy Mangubat (31-17-1) of the
Philippines another chance. The pair first fought in 1996 with Mangubat
(10-10 at the time) getting KO’d in 3. Then they fought in September of
1999 with the then 27-2 Pongsaklek getting an 8 round decision even though
the fight was scheduled for 10. You ask, "How can a fighter get an 8
round decision in a 10 round fight?" "ThisIsThailand". Where’s
the problem?
Now try this on for size. Mangubat is the WBC
International Flyweight Champion but only the number 11 ranked flyweight by
the WBC which does not have a dearth of good flyweights. How about them
apples?
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