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Pratuang Pattabongs - a life for sport and forever Thailand’s badminton champion
Suchada Tupchai and Laor Thongpradap
“Every time I serve, I feel so light and comfortable
that I can forget other things”
 Pratuang’s
endeavors in playing badminton eventually gained her a kind patronage from
Her Royal Highness, Princess Kallayaniwattana.
This is Ms. Pratuang Pattabongs, Thailand’s
ex-national badminton player, who has made a great reputation for the
Kingdom. She was also a champion in many seasons and Thailand’s first
national badminton player at the All England Championship.
Born on July 5, 1936, Ms. Pratuang Pattabongs is the
present health and sport expert at Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel. She is
the second of four children of Mr. Jaras and Mrs. Lumyai Pattabongs. Her
elder brother, Pinit Pattabongs, was also Thailand’s male single’s
champion in 1951, 1952, 1954, and 1955. With full support from her family
in playing the sport, the granddaughter of Prawat Pattabongs, Thailand’s
founding father of badminton, was Thailand’s longest reigning badminton
champion, having held the title for 12 years running.
“One
of my greatest honors was to play badminton on the same team as the Royal
Family at Sra Pratum Palace, when a match was held to strengthen
friendship between people from the Jitrada and the Sra Pratum Palaces
under the patronage of HM the King on January 26, 1958,” Pratuang said.
Pratuang started playing badminton when she was 10
years old, although in the beginning her parents did not agree with her
practicing badminton so heavily. “When I was a child I saw my sisters
and brothers playing badminton and so wanted to join them. I then
practiced until I became a badminton player for my school. My mum was mad
at me when she knew that and she thought that I wouldn’t be able to do
it. She even broke my badminton racket to stop me from playing and prevent
me from attending a match. But I managed to find a new racket and took
part in the competition anyway,” she reminisced.
 One
of the many trophies Pratuang has won over the years.
“Even now I feel like I’m attached to the sport and
it has become my friend. Whenever I am stressed or upset, I usually turn
to badminton. I practiced hard and developed my skills until I became a
representative of Thailand to take part in many international matches,”
she added.
Pratuang’s endeavors in playing badminton eventually
gained her a kind patronage from Her Royal Highness, Princess
Kallayaniwattana. She sent Pratuang to take part in the All England
Championship in 1958 as Thailand’s first female national badminton
player, which was her first international single’s match. From there,
Pratuang continued to participate in many other international badminton
competitions and strived to maintain her champion status. Having been
champion for many years, she became known as the ‘forever champion’.
Pratuang was also granted a scholarship by HRH
Kallayaniwattana to study secretary and accountancy in the U.K. when she
was a third year student studying economics at Thammasat University.
 Pratuang
was awarded the “Grand Spirit Award”.
Pratuang has won championships in many different
international badminton matches, including the World Invitation in
Glasgow, Scotland in 1960; Female Single’s Championships of Switzerland,
in Zurich, Switzerland in 1959; International Championships of the
Netherlands, in Harlem, Netherlands in 1960; All Malaya Championships in
Singapore City, Malaya in 1958; Female Single’s Championship in the
Selangor Gold Cup Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1959; The
C.C.I. of India Championships in Bombay, India in 1959; Surrey Open
Championships England in London, England in 1959; SEA Games in Rang Gung,
Burma in 1961; 4 th Asian Games
in Jakarta in 1964; 1st Team
Championship of the Uber Cup in Inverkargil, New Zealand; 2nd
Team Championship of the Uber Cup in Bangkok, Thailand; and many more.
Pratuang
Pattabongs (3rd
left) receives gifts from admirers.
“One of my greatest honors was to play badminton on
the same team as the Royal Family at Sra Pratum Palace, when a match was
held to strengthen friendship between people from the Jitrada and the Sra
Pratum Palaces under the patronage of HM the King on January 26, 1958,”
Pratuang said. She also told Pattaya Mail that one of the most
impressive events in her life was the first time she took part in an
international match, the All England Championship – which she won! In
1984, Pratuang was nominated for the “most outstanding person who has
dedicated herself for the country” award.
“I always concentrate in every match I play and I do
have spirit in sports. I am glad when I win, but I can accept it if I lose
and I’m always willing to forgive my opponents. I also learn from
mistakes and I always teach my students the same thing. Many of them have
already become very successful in playing badminton,” the champion said.
 Pratuang
(right) and close friends enjoy a moment together off the court.
Today, after having retired from playing badminton, she
works for the society as a sports expert at the Ambassador City Jomtien
Pattaya Hotel, providing customers with advice about sports. She is also
in charge of quite a few of the hotel’s services, such as the sports
center, water sports, outdoor sports, traditional massage, reflexology,
and beauty salon. She plans to build a museum, collecting all the prizes
and awards she has ever won and keeping this collection as a remembrance
of herself to her family, children and people in the next generations.
Although Pratuang is already 66 years of age, she
continues to work effectively and gain respect from many people and
organizations, so much so, she is called, ‘the forever champion’.
PH3 Run 952 - Betty Boop Run
Well, all of a sudden it’s Monday again, what
happened to last week? I make my way to the Scandi Bar in my nice new
dress and wig for the Betty Boop run and nobody takes any notice! What a
strange place to live, guys walking round in dresses and falsies and
nobody gives a hoot.
The
closet dancers...
Once signed up it’s off to the bus to see some of
Pattaya’s finest dressed to kill. Good fun at the a-site way down by
Buddha Mountain. Hares on-in, the two lovelies Star Trek and Miss Kentucky
told us about the run.
It was a good run with plenty of nice scenery around.
Once back at the a-site the beers were going down, with Prince of Spin and
A-a-olic doing a great job of hash security. The circle was called and the
raffle began with A Marine Called Mary sporting a nice cut lip (he assures
me the baht bus driver came second), next to claim a prize was Tilac, then
to cries of fixed, fixed came Dr Pinky, then Needle Dick’s lady.
Then it was time to judge the tarts, with P Pole Dancer
who looked like a fearless Viking winning, much to the amazement of half
the circle who were screaming for the Thai in tights to win. Then it was
the turn of the guys, too many to mention, the three finalists were:
Charlie Manson, Tilac and Fart Face. I’m not sure who actually won?
Time for returners and then some religion with Sir
Airhead wandering round like a headless chicken because he had temporally
lost his box! Surrogate hares Obewan and Kiwi Bubble Head were iced with
the hares. Then Spunk Bubble was iced for hash trash, throwing empty
bottles from his car last week. King Yao Yao was iced for not changing his
dress for three years along with Sir Chicken Fellow for showing good
taste.
New name time for a guy who was named Velcro, for
having more hair on him than a barber’s shop floor. Virgins and sponsors
were then dealt with. Fini iced Sir Airhead, Sir Chicken and King Yao Yao
and they were serenaded by a guy called Banjo with a couple of great
songs.
Next was anniversary time, Tom Boy 150th run, well
done. Mobile on ice with John Smith The Elephant S. Then it was the
leavers AH and The Witch. Star Trek and Miss Kentucky were iced with their
real husbands. T4, Obewan, and Miserable were iced for taking their
dresses off and changing. Charlie Manson was iced for abusing hash
property.
Then it was time for the hares song performed by Sir
Chicken, a great song called Barnacle Bill, I think there was a dog on the
ice before the hash hymn. Then a Rowdy bus ride to Shenanigans for some
great nosh, Thanks Kim. Another great run on the PH3.
On-On T4
Cafe Kronborg moves up to fourth place
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
Cafe Kronborg moved into fourth place behind Captain
Kran’s 572 series, which included a 201 game, and Bill’s 505 pin count
to take three points from the tough first place House of the Golden Coin.
Golden Coin Captain Mio knocked down a total of 517 pins but her team was
bowling a bit below their normal level.
Nice & Sleazy moved into a tie for second place
taking three points from Three Sisters. Tue had a 522 series, Tony a 508
series and Porn rolled over 505 pins to mount a very balanced attack for
the Nice team.
Shakey Pete’s took three points from second place
Winchester with only Mai bowling a real good 575 series for the Winchester
team. Shakey’s Tui rolled a 669 series with handicap to lead her team.
VFW Post 9876 won three points in their match against
Cafe Ole with a balanced attack and only lost the second game by one pin.
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Team
House of the Golden Coin
Winchester Club
Nice & Sleazy
Cafe Kronborg
Cafe Ole
Three Sisters
VFW Post 9876
Shakey Pete’s |
Standings
13 - 7
11 - 9
11 - 9
10 - 10
9 - 11
9 - 11
9 - 11
8 - 12 |
Points - 7 Jun
1 - 3
1 - 3
3 - 1
3 - 1
1 - 3
1 - 3
3 - 1
3 - 1 |
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Shenanigans ‘Ladies Summer Stableford’ - something special, exclusively for lady golfers
By Mike Franklin
A new major tournament on Shenanigans golf calendar,
exclusively for the ladies, takes place at Eastern Star Resort, Ban Chang,
on Friday 12th July.
Shenanigans Ladies Summer Stableford is open to all
lady golfers and even includes a special division for any ladies who are
new to golf and, as yet, do not have an official handicap.
The rest of the field will play in two divisions, this
time with a long drive in each division as well as long putts, straight
drives and near pins to compliment the performance trophies and prizes.
Kim Fletcher and Mike Franklin, with Shenanigans and
Eastern Star Resort very friendly staff, guarantee the now familiar
‘royal treatment’ for the players at the course and afterwards back at
Shenanigans, Pattaya, for the Thai/Western buffet, prize giving party and
lucky draw.
Free snacks on the course, the usual glass of champagne
at the turn, and a commemorative ‘OK’ Golf Fashion shirt by Kizwa
‘OK’ Golf Fashions.
The entry form with full details is on the Shenanigans
web page at www.shenanigans-pattaya.com with all the other information
about Shenanigans golf program for the ladies.
This open tournament is especially for you ladies. So
sign-up early, and Shenanigans will take care of the rest to ensure you
have an enjoyable and memorable days golf.
Jeed strengthens her lead
Cafe Kronborg Monday Bowling League
This week there were a few changes in the Cafe Kronborg
Monday Bowling League table, with Jeed’s top team winning 3-1 against
Kran’s.
 Kran
rolled a 231 string and 600 series. Well done Kran!
Bill’s team had a bad day and again lost by 4-0 to
Mio’s team, which allowed Mio’s team to move up 2 places in the
standings.
The last game saw Tue’s team again playing to a 2-2
draw against La’s team.
This week there was only one 200+ game, bowled by Kran,
a 231 and total 600, the best of this new season. Another good series came
from Wan with 516, her best so far.
The turnout was low this week with only 16 bowlers, new
bowlers are always welcome.
| Team standings
June 3 |
| |
Won |
Lost |
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1. Jeed
2. Tue
3. Mio
4. La
5. Kran
6. Bill |
16
14
2
2
11
7 |
8
10
12
12
13
17 |
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Dream On
Lawn Bowls Division One
Kevin and Bob of the Dream Team were coasting home 15 - 2,
the game was in the bag, it was all over bar the shouting, when suddenly the
guys in the straight jackets (The Asylum) broke free and played like crazy
taking the game 18 - 16. Keep dreaming Kevin and Bob, you might win one in
never, never land.
The Cap In Hand team won their first game, The Carlsberg Kids
are still off the wagon losing yet again. The undefeated Windmills just pipped
Team Somtam, some guys have all the luck. Welcome back Howard, helping Jan’s
Bar take their first victory and becoming team of the week.
Match of the week: The Dream Team v Asylum 1
Team of the week: Jan’s Bar
Player of The week: Bob of The Asylum 1 Team
Lawn Bowls Division Two
The Double J’s hit their usual form by losing on the last
few ends helping Dave from the Growlers become player of the week. Chaplin Spam
Heads and The Teddy Bears drew in a tense and exciting game. The Boys in the
checked skirts played well to beat Asylum 2, to put them on the top of the
world.
Match of the week: Chaplin Spam Heads V The Teddy Bears
Team of the week: The Growlers
Player of The week: Dave of The Growlers
Doc heads the field at Century
IPGC TAGGS Golf from The Haven
Monday 3rd June - Century Ban Chan (Bogey)
1st: Stephen Beard, 3 up (cb9 3 up)
2nd: Tatsumi Noguchi, 3 up (cb9 2 up)
3rd: Bob Lindborg, 2 up
4th: Mark Gorda, all square
The ever-improving course at Ban Chan hosted the first
outing of the week, which saw a few players fall by the wayside trying to
play shots from the humps and mounds that abound both on and off the
fairways. The “Doc” and Tatsumi San fared better than most, with the
former just taking the honours over the back nine. Bob closely trailed
them for third with Mark, playing his last round before returning to work
in the sand dunes, in fourth place.
Trevor Schirmer and Mark Gorda shared the twos pool.
Prior to the prize giving Richard Livingston, the
resident PGA professional, welcomed new member Jesper Hansen from Denmark
and welcomed back Karl Holm, Yazuo Suzuki, Tatsumi Noguchi, Paul Ovens and
Oh Yoonkyu.
Wednesday 5th June - Khao Kheow (Stableford)
Ladies Division
1st: Saranya Chaiyanont, 41 points
2nd: Phaeng Van Mol, 37
Gentlemen’s Division
1st: David Knight, 38
2nd: Bill Garris, 36 cb9 19, cb6 13
3rd: Karl Holm, 36 cb9 19, cb6 12
4th: Phil Groves, 36 cb9 15
Two new members lead the field over the testing A and B
courses at the beautifully presented Khao Kheow layout, with David Knight
just holding on to secure the win from Bill Garris. Karl, having lost out
second by count back just edged Phil into 4th place by virtue of a better
last six holes.
David Knight and Phaeng Van Mol shared the twos.
Back at The Haven, Richard welcomed new members Bill
Garris from the USA and David Knight from Australia, whilst welcoming back
Joe Sebastian who had been on a trip to the Philippines, and while there
shot a career best gross 76, unfortunately he was unable to continue with
such fine form on his return.
Friday 7th June - Phoenix Blue tees (Monthly Medal)
Ladies Division:
1st: Oradee Kaesavane, 72
2nd: Saranya Chaiyanont, 74
2nd Division:
1st: Vance Millar, 67
2nd: Ciano Glavinia, 70
3rd: Keith Fortt, 71
4th: David Knight, 72
1st Division:
1st: Mike Dabanovich, 69
2nd: Phil Groves, 72 (cb9 33)
3rd: David Ferguson, 72 (cb9 33.5)
4th: Harry Riley, 73
The Monthly Medal is always a popular event played from
the blue tees over the Mountain and Ocean courses, and this month proved
no exception as a very large group of golfers vied for the chance to
qualify for the Gold and Silver playoffs to be held in September.
In the ladies division, Oradee took her first win for
some time having been in the doldrums of late following her rapid progress
earlier in the year and held off a determined challenge from the improving
Saranya who was unable to repeat her form of the previous outing.
The second division (16 to 28) was headed by Vance
Millar, who fired his best round in Thailand and easily outscored the
chasing pack, led by Ciano, who during the World Cup has reverted to
claiming Italian heritage, as the Australians did not qualify. He may have
to look further into the family tree if the weekend’s results continue
in the same vein. Returnee Keith and David were close behind having both
faded over the more difficult Mountain nine.
The first division was secured by Dabber, who is still
waiting to go back to work in the desert, but seems unable to find the
exit and may still be around when the Jackalope is played in September.
The always steady Phil, with newcomer David and Wee Harry rounding out the
podium closely followed him.
The twos were shared between Ciano Glavinia, David
Ferguson, Mike Dabanovich and Wira Siduang.
Richard welcomed new member David Ferguson from
Scotland via India, and also welcomed back Keith Fortt, Brian Kelly, Danny
Omland and Jens Gunnarsson.
Veteran Ed in inspiring form at Pattaya
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Bunker
On Tuesday, 4th June, the Bunker Boys and Ladies made a
long overdue return to Pattaya Country Club to play their weekly medal
competition. The day was fine and hot, the fairways dry and dusty and the
greens showed a lot of pace.
The field was large enough to accommodate three
divisions with the ladies’ division being dominated by Mam Trayling with
net 70, one ahead of nearest challenger Usa Chaiyaosit.
In the men’s division one Alan Alexander showed his
continuing improvement with a net 69, one shot ahead of John King and a
further five shots ahead of Roy Mitchell.
The round of the day was seen in division two where
veteran septuagenarian Ed Trayling threw off the shackles of anno domini
to fire a scintillating net 63! This was far too much for runner up Len
Jones, returning from injury with a creditable net 70 and Kevin Wilson on
71.
The shot of the day must have been the 30-foot downhill
birdie putt which Bill Jones sunk on the par three twelfth to give him a
share of the Bunker Super Sawng award, with Alan Alexander, Lamun Hanley
and Kevin Wilson also recording two’s on their cards.
High handicapper Bryn Jones takes his golf very
seriously and he makes every effort to seek professional help to hone his
game. This he did after a disastrous round at Green Valley the previous
day and it helped his driving and iron play so much that he managed to
fire a gross 112. Five hundred baht is a lot to pay for a bunch of
bananas!
Lamun leads the boys at Century
The friendly yet testing course at Century Ban Chang
has long been one of the Bunker Boys’ favourite venues and so it was
again on Friday, 7th June when twenty-six golfers challenged in three
divisions for the weekly Stableford prize.
Once again the ladies’ division threw up the leading
score of the day when Lamun Hanley carded an excellent 39 points to head
Lamud Chaidara by two points.
In division one the ever consistent Mr Loy sliced and
putted his way to a level par 36, four points ahead of Prasan Boonsiri on
32, with Neil Hughes in third place, shooting 30 points.
In division two golf lessons are working for Bryn Jones
who shot 37 points to win the division, with Len Jones second on 35 and
Kevin Wilson just behind with 34.
PJ Redmond and Lamun Hanley showed their accuracy on
the par-threes and shared the Bunker Super Sawng award and on his return
from New Jersey Paul Quodomine managed to pick up the prize he always
wanted, the Bunker Banana Booby, for his low score of nineteen points.
The day ended at the Bunker with the euphoria of an
England World Cup victory over Argentina but in golf the Thai ladies had
also made their point!
Follow the Bunker Boys at http://www.thebunkerboys. com
Dave feels right at home at Sattahip
P.S.C. Golf From The Cafe Kronborg
Monday 3 June - Sattahip (Stableford)
As long as Sattahip is open and the Admiral takes the
Kronborg to play golf, the first name that goes down every month will be
Sattahip. Some say its because Dave feels at home there, some say its
because of the value for money, some say its because it has baeen improved
to such an extent that when they sort out the grass on the fairways it
will be a first class course, but the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Dave likes it because he plays well there, whilst most others don’t, and
after all if you put in the time he does running competitions for
everyone, you have to have a few perks, why not play your ‘favourite’
course?
Oh! The results, well guess what. After a tight, hard
fought, competition the winner was Dave Richardson with 38 points, second
with 37 points was Ebrahim beating Ray Woodruffe, also 37 points, on count
back. Dave would like to thank all those who regularly travel to Sattahip
with him for their continued contributions.
 Dave
would like to thank all those who regularly travel to Sattahip with him
for their continued contributions.
Thursday 6 June - Bangpra (Stableford)
I suppose if a free vote was held across the whole of
the golfers here, this course would appear in practically everyone’s top
three, and whilst at present the greens are not at their awesome fastest,
this course has to be one of the fairest tests of golf for golfers of all
standards and is always a pleasure to play.
So it was that as soon as Bangpra was on the schedule
the turnout, for this time of year, rose to a much higher number than of
late, and 28 keen golfers set forth from the Kronborg, all a quiver, ready
to take the course apart.
The course was in its usual fine condition, so it was
expected there would be some fine performances, and so it turned out to be
with many persons performing above the call of duty, and all winners in
both flights shot better than their handicap. The scores in the ‘B’
flight, however, were outstanding, and it required 42 points to come
third. One of the strange facts of the day was that the result in the
‘B’ flight was exactly the same as the result at Bangpra in April,
same course, same result, weird game this golf.
The results were: A flight (0 to 16): first was Ebrahim
with 39 points, second was Rick Evans on 37 points who beat John Emerson,
also 37 points, into third on count back.
The winner of B flight (17 upwards) was a smiling Jim
Boyd, as he was two months ago, with a great 44 points, he seems to play
really well here. Second with 42 points was Mick O’Connor, beating Ricky
Furgerson also 42 points, into third place on count back. Ricky must be
getting to hate the sight of these two, he’s scored 42 & 41 points
and both times come in third. Tough game this golf.
Near pins: No 2 Tatsumi Naguchi, No 8 Bill Garris, No
12 Ricky Furgerson and No 17 Phil Utting.
Topsy-turvy week at Siam
PSC Three Sisters Golf
With clear skies and newly cut fairways, golf was once
more halfway enjoyable at Siam. The greens were still rough due to
perforations but they should be better in the next few weeks. Last week
Paul Kraft was fighting to get out of the bottom spot and this week he won
the bragging rights with 37 points winning on count back from Herb
Ishinaga.
 Paul
Kraft (right) won the “bragging rites” at Siam Country Club 3 June 02.
Jerry Lien brought up the rear!
Jerry Lien, who is always ready for a picture, tumbled
from near the top last week to the bottom this week. Jerry had to fight
off Vic Cross for the honors but managed to snatch the bottom position
with 25 points.
Mark Banks wins the 3rd Tibhar Table Tennis Tournament
Local players again dominate other categories
Englishman Mark Banks from Reading, UK, defeated
Kittisak from Pattaya Ping Pong 3 sets to 2 in the championship game of
the third Tibhar Table Tennis Tournament held on the 5th floor of Mike
Shopping Center last weekend. Banks, on his annual holidays to Thailand,
made an effort to visit Pattaya one day earlier than planned. The home
crowd cheered as Mark and Kittisak played an eventful final match after
two days of tough competition.
 Table
tennis champion Mark Banks (left) receives the winner’s trophy from
Thomas Kunzelman, the tournament organizer.
More than 130 entrants signed up for the monthly
tournament, slightly less than previous months, most likely due to most of
the potential players watching the FIFA World Cup. However, the hardcore
competitors strutted their stuff on the tables, with Assumption College in
Sriracha (ACS) providing one the strongest fields of players.
The girls made a welcome return to the table tennis
scene, with 5 girls from local clubs taking part: home team Mike-Tibhar,
Pattaya Ping Pong Club and the Banglamung School. Chomanya Poythisarn from
Mike-Tibhar defeated her sister to win the girls’ under 14s and Montira
Pindar from Pattaya Ping Pong took the top spot in the girls Under 18s
category.
The last match of the tournament was the Boys U14s
final when Ekachai Narongnoo fought to stay ahead of Apiwong. After taking
it to 5 sets, Eckachai won the Under 14s trophy.
The monthly tournaments take place on the 5th Floor of
Mikes Shopping Center and are open to all players at all levels.
Potentially with 12 matches being played at any one time makes it an
excellent opportunity for table tennis enthusiasts to compete in a
friendly tournament with many talented local players. As Mark Banks,
winner of the Men’s open said, “It’s a great opportunity, many of
these kids don’t know how lucky they are. In the UK we generally play at
local school and church halls.”
The next tournament will be held on Saturday and Sunday
July 13 and 14 and there is no advance registration needed, just show up
on the day ready to play. Contact tournament organizer and coach, Thomas
Kunzelman on 038 775 312 or email: [email protected] for details or
lessons.
| Results (1st, 2nd and 3rd places):
Men’s Open Singles
Mark Banks (UK)
Kittisak (Pattaya Ping Pong)
Tsongpon (Pattaya Ping Pong)
Men’s Over 40s
Pongsathorn (Wong Duen Villa)
Thomas (Mikes-Tibhar)
Charoen (Royal Thai Navy)
Men’s Open Doubles
Tsongpon - Kittisak (Pattaya Ping Pong)
Jathurak-Jakornrich (Pattaya Ping Pong)
Mark Banks - Jirawat (UK/Mike-Tibhar)
Boys U18 Singles
Apichart (Air) (Mike-Tibhar)
Eckachai (Mike-Tibhar)
Apiwong (Mike-Tibhar)
Boys U18s Doubles
Piyaphum-Pachorn (Assumption College Sriracha)
Apichart-Apiwicharn (Mike-Tibhar)
Ekachai-Jirawat (Mike-Tibhar)
Girls U18s Singles
Montira Pindar (Pattaya Ping Pong)
Chomanya Sujiraykul (Mike-Tibhar)
Siriporn Poythisarn (Banglamung School)
Girls U14s Singles
Chomanya Poythisarn (Mike-Tibhar)
Siriporn Poythisarn (Banglamung School)
Boys U14s Singles
Anuchote (Mike-Tibhar)
Kanthnarong (ACS)
Suradej (Mike-Tibhar)
Boys U14s Doubles
Eckachai-Jirawat (Mike-Tibhar)
Apichart - Apiwicharn (Mike-Tibhar)
Piyaphum - Pachorn (ACS)
Boys U10 singles
Anuchote (Mike-Tibhar)
Kanthnarong (ACS)
Suradej (Mike-Tibhar)
Boys U10s Doubles
Suradej - Anuchote
Kanthnarong - Jakrapan (ACS)
|
PSC announces Annual General Meeting
The Pattaya Sports Club (PSC) Annual General Meeting
will be held at 7 p.m. on the 19th of June at the Town in Town Hotel.
Please note: the meeting is for the attendance of
Elective Members only. The current list of Elective Members is on display
at the Clubhouse notice board.
Any members unable to attend the meting should obtain a
proxy form from the Clubhouse
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
What a week it was for the POHME’s. England beats
Argentina (about time), an American horse does not win the Epson Darby (he
finished second) and Lennox Lewis proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that
on June 9th (Pattaya Time) he was the better fighter than Mike Tyson.
Lewis used his reach, height, jab, power and conditioning to take the
former great behind the woodshed for a good old fashion “butt
kicking.”
For those watching at various watering holes in the
Kingdom the results would be in doubt only until the end of round two.
Tyson fought a very good initial round bobbing and weaving as the Tyson of
old would have done. He threw punches in combinations and was elusive.
Except it wasn’t the Tyson of old. It was 2002 not 1987.
Those of us that thought we were going to escape our
meal of crow, with a nice Chianti and fava beans lost all hope midway
through the 2nd stanza. That’s the point when Lennox Lewis knew it was a
walk in the park. His jab came alive along with the rest of his arsenal.
Tyson’s hopes died.
With the exception of a one point deduction by referee
Eddie Cotton there were no bright spots for Tyson from then on, if you
consider that a bright spot. The deduction came in round 4. Ronnie
Shields, Tyson’s trainer, begged the former Iron Mike to “let your
hands go. Throw punches in bunches.” He subtlety implied that he was
going to toss in the towel if Tyson didn’t fight. His pleadings fell on
ears that could hear but the body wouldn’t respond. Subtlety has never
been a Tyson strong point.
Across the ring Emanuel Steward, Lewis’s trainer,
counseled, “Put this guy away. You have a dead man in front of you.”
The fight should have been over before the KO at 2:25 of the 8th. Lewis
hit Tyson with a hellacious combination that had Tyson squatting down in
the center of the ring early in round 8. Referee Cotton called it a
knockdown even though it wasn’t as nothing but Tyson feet touched the
canvas in the center of the ring in the Pyramid. It was a reprieve that
was only temporary. Tyson had swelling over both eyes with blood streaming
from everywhere. Lewis was landing the overhand left almost at will.
There were more winners than just Lennox Lewis. The
sport of boxing won big time as it again confused and befuddled it’s
critics. Just when its demise was predicted the sport came back with Mike
Tyson in the limelight. “Who would have thunk it?” The fight almost
lived up to it’s billing. It was everything that it was suppose to be.
The city of Memphis put on a heavyweight title fight
with class and no problems. Mike Tyson went into the ring, got his butt
kicked and acted like a gentleman. “I want to thank Lennox for the
opportunity to fight him. I hope we can do it again. It was a great
payday.”
In losing, Mike Tyson may have won as he will insure
himself more years in the ring. In getting pummeled from “pillar to
post” he won. Lennox Lewis won the fight. It was a fight “which will
secure his legacy”. What ever that means.
The only losers were the State of Nevada who have got
to look stupid now for turning the fight down and the smart folks who said
the fight would never happen. There will be another fight between the two
probably in Las Vegas.
Referee Eddie Cotton was terrible. But in the end those
two brilliant predictions don’t overcome the fact that I thought Tyson
would win. It’s still “corvus brachyrhynchos” for me. Maybe the
world’s greatest Athletic Commission would like to join me as I dine on
crow cacciatore with a nice MGD. How you like them apples?
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