HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

APIS students get ready for competitions in Nakon Sawan and Phrae

Prem takes top spot

Anti-drug street soccer kicks off this weekend

Pucks drop in April for Bully Family ice hockey tournament

Chiang Mai Pool League

Fitness Tips

The Square Ring

APIS students get ready for competitions in Nakon Sawan and Phrae

American Pacific builds Taekwondo Gym

American Pacific International School (APIS) has recently opened its new Taekwondo Gym for staff and students. More than 20 students (ages 7 to 17) and staff are regularly training and learning the blocks and kicks that will eventually lead them to their black belts. The program’s focus is on fitness, balance, agility and self-defense. Several students are training for a competition that will take place in Nakon Sawan at the end of March and another one in Phrae in May. The school has plans to send students to compete in Bangkok next year with other international schools, which run similar programs.

APIS students are training for a Taekwondo competition that will take place in Nakon Sawan at the end of March and another one in Phrae in May.

The APIS Junior Taekwondo Team shows they’re ready!

At APIS, all the instructors have earned their black belts and have several years of teaching experience. “This is a great program for expat students because it is portable for families that move around the region or back to the United States as Taekwondo gyms can be found throughout the world now,” explained Mr. Sutherland, Headmaster at APIS.

Prem takes top spot

Chiang Mai Middle School Basketball

Sport is a very big and important factor of education in all international schools in Chiang Mai. Last Wednesday, March 12, the Middle School Basketball teams played some matches, which were hosted once again by Prem Tinsulanonda.

The green team from Grace International takes a break from the fast action on the court.

First place Prem: Rafaela Kraushaar, Chelsea Bell, Ann Shilling, Sonya Shadravan, Hannah Smith and missing is Marie Sivek since at the time she was still at the dentist.

The Prem team gave an impressive performance, particularly No 8 Hannah Smith who was top scorer for the tournament with 25 points.

A special mention must go to Marie Sivek, number 11, who despite having her front teeth knocked out 2 weeks previously, rushed back from a dentist appointment in order to play in the second game. That’s what’s called real sportsmanship and enthusiasm. 1 extra point for Marie!

This was the first time a middle school tournament was held. The girls all had a great time and it can only be hoped this will be built on in subsequent years.

In league standings, Prem is in first place, followed by 2nd place Murray and in third GIS.

Results:

Prem 38 versus Grace International School (GIS) 11

Prem 21 versus Murray International 17

Murray 28 versus GIS 0

Anti-drug street soccer kicks off this weekend

Autsadaporn Kamthai

Kad Suan Kaew shopping complex in cooperation with the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) jointly launched the “Kad Suan Kaew Street Soccer” campaign to help promote the value of exercise and spending useful time and to protest against drug use among youngsters.

The winner will receive a trophy from Chiang Mai Governor Pisit Khetphasook and other prizes valued up to 30,000 baht. There are 3 rounds of this competition. The 1st round will be held March 22-23, from 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. and on March 27-28 from 5-8 p.m. Thirty-two teams are competing in this tournament.

The 2nd round begins on March 29 (1-7 p.m.), and there will be 16 teams competing. For the final round on March 30 (also 1-7 p.m.), the remaining 8 teams will compete for the title. All will take place at the front ground at Kad Suan Kaew department store.

Pucks drop in April for Bully Family ice hockey tournament

Autsadaporn Kamthai

The Bully Family is planning an ice hockey tournament to celebrate their 3rd anniversary in April.

Kad Suan Kaew 2002 Co. Ltd and Thailand Ice-skate Association will jointly host the ice-hockey competition to celebrate the Bully Family’s 3rd anniversary. The competition will be held April 4 - 7, beginning each day at 1 p.m., at Bully Sky Ice on the 5th floor, Zone C at Kad Suan Kaew department store.

The winner will receive a trophy from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sport lovers should not miss this competition. Come and cheer your favorite team!

Chiang Mai Pool League

Fitness Tips

G’day Readers,

Apologies for being remiss in my column writing for the last few weeks, that’s something that will happen from time to time as a contributing writer, work must come first and things here at the gym have been keeping me away from the computer.

2 or 3 guilt trips from the senior staff at the paper and I’m back behind the machine with something for all above the legal age.

It does refer to Valentine’s Day, which was a month ago but the info is valid nonetheless.

If you haven’t planned anything special for Valentine’s Day (or any other day for that matter) why not head to the gym? Studies have shown that exercise may be the best remedy to spice up your love life! Stop thinking about that little blue pill and read on, this is better for your entire body function.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recently published a report that identified numerous studies showing a direct correlation between exercise and an improved sex life.

According to a study conducted at the Howard School of Public Health, men who exercised for 20 to 30 minutes each day were half as likely to suffer from erection problems than those who did no exercise. At the University of California scientists found that sedentary healthy middle-aged men who began exercising, reported more frequent sexual activity and orgasms, more reliable function during sex, and more satisfying orgasms than those who remained sedentary.

A study of athletes at the University of North Carolina found that those who exercised at 70% of their VO2 max increased levels of the hormones free-testosterone, cortisol, and epinephrine, which contribute to increased sexual arousal. 70% of VO2 max is an exercise intensity that has you unable to hold a conversation whilst working out for a period of at least 20 minutes. Yes, you are working hard but not so hard that you feel as though you are killing yourself.

The Massachusetts Male Aging Study, a ten-year study on erectile dysfunction, found that sedentary men had the highest risk of impotence, while those who participated in regular exercise had the lowest. A study conducted by the University of Texas measured the sexual response of 35 young women while watching a travel film and an X-rated film. The study was conducted twice, the first time the women cycled vigorously for 20 minutes and the second time they did not. Using a device that measures blood flow to genital tissue the researchers found that after exercising the women experienced a 169% increase in vaginal responses.

Finally, a study published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness revealed that married couples who voluntarily began a supervised fitness program together were more likely to stick with the program than those who joined without their spouses.

“Regular exercise appears to enhance sexuality through a variety of mechanisms that affect both the mind and body,” said Dr Cedric Bryant, chief executive physiologist for ACE. “These studies help document that regular, moderate exercise may help prevent, reduce or possibly reverse major sexual problems, from erectile dysfunction to low libido, in both sexes.”

Carpe’ Diem

The Square Ring

by Howie Reed

Last week was a little unusual around the boxing world as there were a lot of fights in a lot of different countries that could affect the landscape. In Berlin more than 10,000 showed up as Sven Ottke (30-0) added another hide to the wall with a “squeaker majority decision” (116-114, 115-113, 112-116) over Yank Byron Mitchell (24-2-1). Prior to the fight the Ottke camp lodged an official protest against the use of Puerto Rican judge Samuel Conde-Lopez, who was assigned by the IBF despite having worked mostly with the WBA in recent assignments. Conde-Lopez had it 116-112 for Mitchell while his seeing eye dog had a similar score. The Super Middleweight division is not the glamour spot in boxing but Ottke does now own the IBF & WBA belts which should count for something. Be nice to see Ottke meet up with Brit Joe Calzaghe who holds the WBO Crown. Eric Lucas, the WBC titleholder, would be the next choice.

It’s a shame if they didn’t televise the Acelino “Popo” Freitas (32-0) WBA/WBO Jr. Lightweight Champ’s Sunday fight with Juan Carlos Ramirez (29-5). It was a corker. Not to worry if you missed it; so did the worst referee in boxing. Geno Rodriques could not have done more wrong. Wonder he didn’t get Ramirez seriously hurt. In the third after each fighter scored a “a questionable knockdown” Freitas landed a picture perfect right hand that dropped Ramirez like “Noi does a punter out of baht.” The fight should have been stopped then and there. Referee Rodriques instead allowed them to finish the round and start the 4th. That stanza lasted only 19 seconds. The perfect fight next would be against Yodsanan Nathachai, better known as 3-K Battery. The Battery is 40-2 and could actually be one of the Thai fighters that could travel outside the friendly borders of the Kingdom and get a win. Maybe not against Freitas but he’d give a darn good account of himself.

Anybody remember former WBC light heavyweight champion Donny Lalonde? He was the toast of Canada many years ago. He’s back at age 43 getting an easy Unanimous Decision (98-92 times 2 and 99-92) over the weekend to up his record to (41-4-1). He hopes the win will propel him into a fight with former champ Virgil Hill. Another Canadian got some redemption when heavyweight Kirk Johnson scored a spectacular KO over Lou Savarese at 1:52 of the 4th. The fight was for a meaningless title but more importantly it may make up for Johnson’s lackluster performance against former heavyweight champ John Ruiz last time out.

As you sit discussing the world of boxing whilst enjoying an ice cold Klosters (I understand they are back in business) you’re probably saying, “Who the hell is this Corrie Sanders Bloke?” Don’t blame you one bit as until he KO’d W. Klitschko to win the coveted WBO Heavyweight Championship I though he was a journeyman who spelled his first name Corry. “Naw naw” say the boxing Gods. Corry Sanders is a Yank and the Champ Corrie is from South Africa and damn proud of it. Good for him. He thought about coming to America with fellow heavyweight and friend Frans Botha but choose to stay in his homeland. He’s hung around the fringe of top heavyweights ever since he started in the late 80s. He ran off a string of 23 wins which included 16 KO’s. Then in 1994 he stepped it up a bit against Nate “Mr.” Tubbs and got KO’d in 2.

From that date he went on another winning streak of 13-0 with 10 KOs. Now if 13 fights in 6 years doesn’t sound like your average busy fighter, it isn’t. Sanders would much rather be on the golf course where he plays to a 1. It’s almost as if his mindset is, “Whoops almost broke. Best fight.” He held the WBU title from 1997 until KO’d in 7 by Hashim Rahman (32-2) in 2000. That was Sanders’ second try against “good” competition. He failed. Rahman would go on to beat Lennox Lewis. He then proved that he’s not the coldest beer in the icebox when he turned down a multi fight big dollar deal with cable giant HBO until after his rematch with Lewis. After the Lewis fight it was “Hashim who?” He fights David Tua later this month.

Pro fighter ‘Scottish” Dave Stewart informs the Square Ring that, “I’m boxing again on April 26th in Coventry against a Jamaican guy called Chill John. It’s a step up to eight rounds and a win over him will get me some acclaim as he’s well respected.

“They’re saying here in the UK that the forthcoming Harrison-McCullough fight is the most eagerly awaited since Benn-Eubank II. The pundits seem to be split down the middle on who will win. My opinion, for what it’s worth, is that Scott’s size, strength and determination will take him to a points decision but it might be close. Are you still picking Wayne?”

It’s been a long hard road for good guy Wayne McCullough (26-3) who finally gets another shot at a world title. This trip to the post he gets Scott Harrison (18-1-1) who won the WBO Featherweight title last October with a UD over champ Julio Pablo Chacon. Harrison has been made a slight betting favorite which is somewhat surprising as two of McCullough’s loses are to Prince Naseem and Eric Morales. These fighters were a combined 66-1. Harrison has showed some power with 5 KOs from 6 wins. But I’ll stick with the Pocket Rocket to do the business.

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