|
Loads of fun at the Dreams &
Teams festival in Lamphun
British Council
On Tuesday 29th June, the first Dreams and Teams sports
festival organised entirely by secondary school students in the north took
place at the Chakkham Kanathon School in Lamphun, while similar events were
held in Bangkok on the same day. The opening was presided over by Dr
Srisamorn Poomsa-ard, the director of the Bureau of Innovative Education of
the Ministry of Education.
The
kids, divided into teams, do warm up exercises.
Dreams & Teams is a British Council pilot project run
in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust in the UK and the Ministry of
Education in Thailand. The aim is to develop young leaders and global
citizens through sport. The project supports Thai educational reform by
showcasing UK experience in the use of sport as a tool for developing
leadership skills and creative teaching.
The
newly trained Young Leaders spent several days at the 700 Year Stadium
organising every aspect of the planning and execution of the sports
festival.
Young people in more than 20 countries are currently
taking part in Dreams & Teams. The programme differs from many sports
leadership programmes because of its internal linking and cross-cultural
dimension. Chakkham Kanathon School has already begun to establish links
with two schools in the UK.
Dr
Srisamorn Poomsa-ard, the director of the Bureau of Innovative Education of
the Ministry of Education presided over the opening.
Following a demonstration sports day organised by the
original group of Young Leaders from Bangkok and UK and Thai tutors in
February, which formed part of the 2004 Education Festival, training for the
Lamphun tutors and students took place at Thammasart University Rangsit
Campus on 21-24 June.
Secondary
school student leaders organize the younger students during the sports
festival.
On their return to Lamphun the newly trained Young
Leaders spent several days at the 700 Year Stadium making preparations for
their own event, which was an opportunity for them to organise every aspect
of the planning and execution of the sports festival itself, which involved
80 primary students.
The
first Dreams and Teams sports festival organised entirely by secondary
school students in the north took place on Tuesday June 29 at the Chakkham
Kanathon School in Lamphun.
With the backing of the Ministry of Education it is expected that Dreams
and Teams will extend to further schools in the north and throughout
Thailand in the coming years.
Chiang Mai Pool League
Stadium fees increased
in face of rising costs
But members get discounts
Autsadaporn Kamthai
The 700 Year Anniversary Stadium is to increase its swimming
pool, tennis and badminton court fees from August 1.
The entrance charges to the swimming pool for adults will
increase from 40 baht to 50 baht but decrease to 30 baht for members. School
student non-members will pay 20 baht and members 10 baht. University students
who are non-members will have to pay 30 baht, but members 20 baht.
The stadium has 12 tennis courts. At the moment, the fee for
non-members is 40 baht an hour to use the courts and 20 baht for members. From
next month, the fees will be 50 baht and 30 baht an hour respectively.
The badminton court fees will increase from 60 baht and 40
baht an hour to 80 and 60 baht for non-members and members respectively. The
stadium has eight badminton courts.
The stadium has had to increase its fees to meet its
expenses. Before 2000, it received an 11 million baht grant from the Sport
Authority of Thailand annually. However, this financial support ended after
2000, and the Sport Authority of Thailand set up a committee to manage the
stadium’s finances.
This is the first time since 2000 that the fees have been
increased, although the stadium has been faced with increasing costs for
repairs, maintenance and staff wages.
The increases will assist it in continuing to provide a
clean pool and up to standard courts.
Hotel staff strut their stuff
at sports stadium
Saksit Meesubkwang
What do hotel employees do during the low season when
there’s only a trickle of tourists? They turn to sports.
The Thai Hotels Association (THA), Northern Chapter held its
24th Hotel Sports tournament from July 1-6 at Chiang Mai Municipal Stadium.
The winning
Royal Princess football team.
This annual event is organized to create unity among hotel
staff, encourage them to do exercise to improve their health, and provide them
with recreation during the low season.
Staff from 15 THA registered hotels participated: Four
Season Chiang Mai Resort, the Empress, Royal Princess, Suan Bua Resort and Spa,
Northern Heritage and Spa, Suriwongse, Royal Lanna, the Imperial Mae Ping,
Chiang Mai Orchid, the Park, Pornping Tower, Rydges Amora Thapae, the Imperial
Chiang Mai Resort, Amari Rincome and Novotel Chiang Mai.
The final round of football was held on July 6. The Royal
Princess Hotel was the champion after beating Imperial Mae Ping Hotel 3-2.
Rydges Amora Thapae came third after they defeated Novotel Hotel 3-0.
The president of the THA, Northern Chapter, Vorapong Muchaotai, presided
over the closing ceremony.
Women footballers kicking their way to 60,000 baht
Curtain raiser for women’s world cup
Anek Chindaluang, Public Relations Department, Chiang Mai
The Thai Football Association (under Royal Patronage) is
preparing for a northern region Under-19 women’s football tournament with a
60,000 baht prize at stake.
Sixteen teams from the northern provinces will compete from
October 3-9 at the football pitches of Chiang Mai University and the Thai
Product Club in San Pa Tong district.
Dr Santi Pongpandecha, advisor to the Thai Football
Association, said the tournament was aimed at promoting the value of spending
useful time and preventing drug use among young women in keeping with
government policy.
The tournament is also an “appetizer” for the World
Women’s Youth Championship, the first round of which will be held in Chiang
Mai from November 10-16 at the 700 Year Anniversary Sports Stadium.
|
