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Scenes from the 33rd National Games in Chiang Mai
Narinsorasak sisters,
Piyamala (holding medal on the left) and Pimchanok (holding medal on the
right) won silver medals in the K-1 and K-2 rowing competition. It was their
first competing in the National Games, and rowing is one of the sports in
which their home province of Lamphun hopes to win the gold medal next time.
Cyclists jockey for
position on the Velodrome bicycle track at the 700 Years Anniversary Sport
Complex.
The Chiang Mai
women’s basketball team shoots their last points before defeating Pang-nga
by the score 29-21 in the Nakhon Chiang Mai Games on the morning of December
20.
Here are the cycling
winners! Another gold medal for Suphanburi, plus the silver and bronze for
Bangkok were presented by Chiang Mai Deputy Governor Boworn Rattanaprasit.
33rd National Games Unofficial Results as of December 23:
(At press time, the final results were not yet in. Stay
“tuned” to Chiangmai Mail for the official results next week)
Unofficial Results
Place Province Gold Silver Bronze Total
1st Bangkok 89 87 63 239
2nd Chiang Mai 54 37 49 140
3rd Chonburi 41 48 39 128
4th Supanburi 31 24 34 89
5th Si Sa Ket 11 8 9 28
Tharatip Sridee wins 5 gymnastics gold medals for Supanburi
Nuttanee Thaveephol
Young lady from Supanburi, Tharatip Sridee was the top
gymnast, winning 5 gold medals for her province in the 33rd National Games
in Chiang Mai. She is expected to win 3 or more gold medals in the next SEA
Games.
Tharatip
Sridee reaches for the championship with her batons. The rhythmic champion
took home 5 gold medals from the 33rd National Games in Chiang Mai.
The 11th day of Nakhon Chiang Mai Games was the last day
of the gymnastics competition. Seven gymnasts competed in the all-equipments
category, where they had to show their skills with the ribbon, hoop, ball,
and baton.
Pretty,
young gymnasts ready to compete in the final round.
Tharatip Sridee performed beautifully and won the
all-equipment category, earning herself her 5th and last gold medal in
gymnastics for Supanburi.
“I’ve never expected much because I cannot give much
time to practicing, but I told my coach that I would do my best,” Tharatip
said.
She is one of Thailand’s top national gymnasts, and has the ability to
win gold for Thailand in the next SEA Games.
Chiang Mai Pool League - New Season
The CMPL will kick of the new season on
Friday 3 January 2003 at 9 p.m. at the home venues of the participating
bars. With new players and two bars dropping out - Lucky Bar and Mad Dog;
two new bars coming in - Filimore East and Blue Sky Garden and one bar
renamed/new premises - TF Cafe has moved from Loi Kroi Rd to new premises,
No Name Cafe, on Ratchadamnern Rd. (opposite UN Irish Pub) last season’s
form cannot be guaranteed.
This season’s Fixtures
Pool Players Wanted
Pool Players are wanted for the next season of the Chiang
Mai Pool League (CMPL) which starts its next season on Friday 3 Jan 2003.
Most of the bars taking part in the CMPL are looking for new/reserve players
to help them in next season’s action. Why not come along to one of the
participating bars and play pool regularly for FREE.
Check out the fixtures list on this page, pick a team and
join the fun!
Chiang Mai HHH Corner - “On On!”
CH3, the oldest hash club (males) in Chiang Mai is picked
up from the “ONON” pub (Moon Mueng Soi 1) at 16.00 once every 2 weeks
(hence: on 18-11, 2-12, 16-12, 30-12 and 13 01 2003). Pick up can be
arranged from Fish and Chips shop as well.
CSH3 is a mixed Saturday hash which is picked up from the
H3 Pub on Moon Mueng Road every Saturday at 15.30. Pick up can be arranged
from Fish and Chips shop as well.
CUMH3 is a male hash which runs from the “ONON” Pub
every consecutive (from CH3) Tuesday. Pick up is at 16.00.
BH3 is a female hash (Harriettes) that runs once a month
on the last Sunday of the month.
We also have two so-called outstations coming up: A male
hash outstation to Bangkok on 7, 8, 9 December and a mixed outstation to
Chiang Dao on 14 & 15 December. All information either from Fish and
Chips, H3 or “ONON” Pub. Or look at the websites at: http://www.
thai-american.com/hhh/
It’s great fun and you surely get value for your money
plus you get to meet all the long-time expats here!
Study: Sports fans binge drink more than non-fans
The Associated Press
Sports and alcohol go hand in hand, according to a
Harvard study that shows fans binge drink more often than those who are not
fans.
The Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study
says 53 percent of sports fans usually binge when they drink, compared with
41 percent of male and 37 percent of female non-fans.
Findings of the 1999 study, which was released Monday,
surveyed more than 14,000 college students at 119 four-year colleges in 39
U.S. states. The study will be published in the January-February issue of
Addictive Behaviors.
The study was paid for by the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, a philanthropic organization that works to improve health care
and reduce substance abuse.
The study defines binge drinkers as men who have five or
more drinks in a row at lease once within two weeks, or women who have four
or more drinks.
Because of their heavier drinking, sports fans are more
likely to experience problems including legal difficulties, sexual violence
and problems with their schoolwork, the study says.
Henry Wechsler, one of the study’s authors, said
advertising is largely to blame. “The alcohol industry places a large
proportion of advertising around sporting events,” Wechsler said. “This
group of people is heavily marketed to for alcohol use.”
Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, which
represents the industry, said advertising does not cause problem drinking.
“The scientific evidence says advertising doesn’t cause people who
don’t drink to drink,” he said. “It doesn’t cause people who drink
to drink more.”
The Harvard study also said bars and liquor stores target
sports fans with specials and low-price promotions.
“Whether you win or lose, you’re encouraged to
drink,” Wechsler said. “You cry in your beer if you lose and you
celebrate by downing a few if you win.”
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
“Sawasdee Pee Mai”, which of course is Happy New Year
in a few days. There is a rule in this column writing business that the last
column of the year be devoted to a “trip down memory lane”. A trip
devoted to last year and all the wondrous events it presented. But first, in
the tradition of all great news journalists, I write, “Stop the
presses. Flash… Mr. and Mrs. Pattaya”. Now that I got your
attention, last week I reported that Holyfield said after his fight for the
IBF Title, “I had chances to throw the left hook, my best punch, but I
couldn’t get my shoulder up.” Asked about a possible injured shoulder,
former champ George Foreman said, “Byrd hit him on the heart with some
very strong jabs. You get hit there long enough and you’ll think your
shoulder hurts.” Holyfield right. Foreman wrong. Evander had an MRI on his
should done late in the week. The results? Holyfield did suffer an “acute
tear in his rotator cuff, specifically the super spinatis tendon. It’s a
wonder he was able to walk let alone fight”. Holyfield has never been one
to make excuses. Some dummies, like myself, should have listened. He was
operated on last Saturday.
Now forward to the past. Locally 2002, or “Ought 2”
as old timers can say (like Untall Paul who’s Mug appeared in last
week’s Mail), Patrick the Fighting Belgium finally hung up the
gloves. He had one last fight on the drawing board but an elbow injury
during a contest in his “other” home country put the kibosh on that
plan. Now he’ll just continue to jump from airplanes and serve great food
at “Patrick’s Belgian Restaurant” Moo 10 off 2nd Rd. The food is
highly recommended and the skydiving only after many “adult beverages”
and or lack of baht for other activities.
The past year saw no new or old face emerge to take
charge of the heavyweight division. There is an old saying that as the
heavyweights go ... so goes boxing. The heavyweights have been in a state of
limbo. As things look now that isn’t going to change anytime soon. The
emergence, such as it is, of the Klitschko Brothers may have some positive
effect. They are both articulate, big and can punch. The fact that they are
Caucasian, which is important if indeed the world is crying out for a great
White Hope which I doubt, is seen as a big plus also. The current crop of
heavyweights will continue to posture and act like fighters. Don King, old
“fuzzy wazzy”, is trying to pump some life into the division with his
“unofficial” heavyweight tournament, half of which has been completed.
Don’t discount Chris Byrd as a major player.
The absence for the past year of Prince Naseem didn’t
help the lower weight divisions internationally. He has the ability, like
DeLaHoya and Tyson, of putting people in front of their TV’s and buying
tickets. This year Oscar DeLaHoya maintained his super star status while
Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley and even Bernard Hopkins disappeared from the
radar screens. Mosley and Hopkins will fight next year, but there is little
interest.
Kostya Tzysu, the Thunder from Down Under, continued to
be the best known of the international fighters who is not a heavyweight.
Tzysu just needs to find someone to bring out his true abilities and there
isn’t anyone around. He’s proud of his three titles and pretty much
keeps himself busy doing mandatory defenses.
British Super Heavyweight Audley Harrison was a major
disappointment. As, I might interject, were all the fighters that came out
of the Olympics. The best of the bunch may be Middleweight Yank Jeff Lacy.
Harrison did absolutely nothing to indicate that he can become a quality
professional fighter. From day one he fought a parade of stiffs. That would
have been OK if there had been some improvement in his performance. But alas
there was none.
There are a number of fighters from the Realm that for
one reason or another are very good but are never going to make a major
impact on the sport internationally. The most oft thought of reasons is that
they fight at home against opponents that have no chance of winning. Truly
this is a case of This Is Thailand.
WBC Bantamweight Champion Veeraphol Sahapron (39-1-1) is
one of those fighters. This year he went 4 and nil but against the likes of
Alex Escaner (4-5, TKO 6) Dawin Bermudez (4-6, KO 3), Julio Coronell
(21-16-1, UD 12), Noel Sungahid (9-4-3, K) and Sergio Perez (23-9-0 UD 12).
The fights against Coronell and Perez were for the WBC title. In a perfect
world Sahapron would get in the ring with the likes of Johnny Bredahl
(53-2), Tim Austin (25-0-1) or Rafael Marquez (28-3-0) to command
international attention. But the world isn’t perfect so how about Sahapron
against Japan’s Joichiro Tatsuyoshi who just a week ago destroyed Saen Sor
Ploenchit (43-2) in 6 in his comeback fight? Sahapron has fought him twice,
1988 and 1999, winning both times by KO. As they say, a win by Veerphol
would help his “bone’ fides”.
WBA Super Featherweight Champ Yodsanan Nanthachai 3-K
Battery (39-2) had a very good year and capped it off with his defeat of the
Punching Postman. At 28 he’s young enough to make some impact on the
division but unless he steps outside Thailand he’ll never get it done. The
really big names of the division won’t come calling unless he agrees to
meets them on their home turf. It is something with the management of Thai
fighters where never a chance is taken. That’s OK in North America where
reputation can earn big television money. Until a Thai fighter makes the
commitment to visit North America and stay there for an extended period of
time they will never be as good or as rich as they can be. True fact.
The greatest potential for international acclaim is WBC
Flyweight Champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (46-2). He’s young, physically
tall and has experience in the ring. He had a good year by Thai standards
but in the great book of boxing it wasn’t a lot to write home about. He
had three fights, all wins, against people he should and did beat. His KO of
Daisuke Naito last April in 34 seconds put him in the record books for
whatever that’s worth. His upside and future is bright. Denkaosan
Kaoyichit (20-0-0) fighting for the rival WBA got a title shot against Champ
Eric Morel in California. He lost but didn’t disgrace himself. Morel and
Wonjongkam would be a dream match up but it won’t happen.
A Super Bantam that showed some promise was Fahprakorb
Rakkiatgym (35-3). He was 35-2 going into his IBF title fight with Manny
Pacquino (34-2-1). He was destroyed in one round which would indicate that
his time on the international stage is questionable.
How about them apples?
Fitness Tips
Happy New Year!
G’day Readers,
I hope Santa was good to all you kids out there and
everyone got the chance to do something special for not only their loved
ones but for themselves as well.
It’s time to start thinking seriously about what you
are going to do for yourself in 2003.
This
was my Christmas present to me, a holiday in Phuket for 4 days. It was a
great trip, heaps of fun! Did a bit of sight seeing, some swimming, a little
bike riding and a lot of running. This is a photo of our tour group. I’m
the fat, white bloke at the back on the left hand side, looking very nervous
about competing in my first real triathlon.
Most of us would like to get a bit fitter and lose a bit
of weight/fat but many of us use age as an excuse. If you are past your
prime take a look and see that age is not an excuse. For those of you in
your prime and still on the way there, no excuses not to start taking care
of yourself a little better.
Strength training benefits seniors - it’s not age that
wearies you. A new study on the effects of resistance training in older
adults may encourage you to incorporate some type of strength training into
your own regime.
The study, published in the January (2002) edition of
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, reported that older adults who
participated in six months of resistance training significantly increased
and helped to preserve their bone density.
Sixty-two healthy seniors aged between 60 and 83 were
divided into three groups and analysed over a six-month period. The first
group participated in high-intensity resistance training. The second group
engaged in low-intensity training and the third group was controlled so as
not to change their lifestyle habits throughout the study. Participants were
involved in three supervised strength sessions per week, which included
machine exercises.
The study revealed that the high-intensity group
increased their bone density by an average 2% in the hip area by the end of
the six-month period. The second group also showed significant increases in
bone mass throughout the study. It was also found that leg presses, overhead
presses and a variety of back exercises had the most significant effects on
bone density. It’s my job to teach you exercises like these.
While the study reveals that high-intensity weight training has the most
positive effect on bone mass in seniors, significant changes were noted in
the low-intensity group. Incorporating light weights, such as hand weights,
modified squats and pushups into your classes will at least help to preserve
bone density if not to promote positive increases. Again, my job is to teach
things like this and to show you all how easy it is to increase you health
and well being, regardless of age.
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