Julie Halard-Decugis claims singles and doubles title

by Justin Brierty

With the threat of rain ready to throw things into chaos, France’s Julie Halard-Decugis was able to answer every challenge thrown to her by China’s Asian Games gold medal hopeful Fang Li in the final of the US$107,500 Volvo Women’s Open at the Dusit Resort Pattaya last weekend.

Julie Halard-Decugis.

Leading up to the finals, the enthusiastic quarterfinals on Friday were dampened for the locals when their favorite, Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn was defeated by Fang Li, thus ending the hopes of an eventual Thai victory in the finals on Sunday.

Stretching herself to the limits in the semi finals against Kristina Brandi from the US, Halard-Decugis proved to be too good and appeared to be in fine form for the upcoming singles and double finals. The Frenchwoman also had to overcome previous knee and wrist injuries in the lead up to the tournament to try and improve her WTA ranking of 26. "It’s been hard for me but I was determined to win," said Halard-Decugis. "I can’t believe I’ve won both events."

With a fiery first game win in the final, Fang Li looked liked a winner. But with a slightly injured foot that needed attendance, as well as a few questionable line calls going against her, Fang Li appeared disheartened and wasn’t able to answer any of the overpowering moves by Halard-Decugis. "I just have to put this game aside and concentrate on the Asian games," said Fang Li.

Able to match every challenge thrown at her, the Frenchwoman powered down the serves and followed up every backhand and forehand with great accuracy and precision for a final victory of 6-1, 6-2.

Not content with the Singles US$17,700 victory, Halard-Decugis was again determined for another trophy and went on to the win the doubles. Halard-Decugis teamed up with Els Callens from Belgium to defeat the duo of Rika Hiraki (Japan) and Aleksandra Olsza in a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory.

PSC bowler flirts with perfection

Otto Wester come oh so close to a perfect game.

Otto Wester got everyone’s attention recently during the weekly Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League. Other bowlers started watching him after he had strikes in the first five frames, then six, seven, eight and nine in a row. By this time everyone had his or her fingers crossed hoping to see a 300 game. His tenth was in the pocket but to everyone’s dismay one pin refused to fall. He picked up the spare and then got 9 more pins to give him a 278 game. Well done Otto, this is the best game bowled by a PSC bowler in recent memory. It’s not surprising that Otto has Captained his team to a big lead in the 8 team PSC Bowling League.

13^th Asian Games - Thailand (part 3)

The Emblem

The emblem of the 13th Asian Games is composed of the letter "A" and a traditional Thai architectural roof.

The letter "A" stands for the words "Asia" and "Athlete", symbolizing all the Asian Athletes that will compete in the Games. Furthermore, the "A" has been made to resemble the Great Pagoda, which is the symbol of Buddhism, the national religion.

As for the traditional Thai style roof, the architectural form represents the fact that Thailand welcomes athletes from all member countries with the warmth that friendship brings.

Chai-Yo

Asian people have had a long, loving association with elephants, the largest land animal on earth. To people in Asia, this loving creature has been so helpful and powerful that it has become a symbol of tendering respect and proud prestige.

For centuries, the elephant has been very helpful to Asians. The use of elephants as beasts of burden in peace and war can be traced far back in history. People used the loving creature as transporter as well as war vehicle in ancient times. In some remote parts of Asia, the elephant is still helping humans in heavy-weight work.

Elephant worship plays a part in several oriental religions. In India the Hindu religion has an elephant-faced god named Ganesha (in Thai: "Phra Pikanettr"), who is considered to be the remover of obstacles. He is also the patron of literature and learning. His name, traditionally, has been the first to be called out at the start of worship or at the beginning of a new enterprise.

In Thailand, the elephant was a royal transporter of ancient Thai kings. The white elephant, however, is particularly honored in Thailand. For many years it was pictured on Thailand’s and Laos’ former national flags. Some people even likened the geographical map of Thailand to an elephant’s head.

The world’s elephant population has been facing a threat from poachers who kill the poor creature for its tusks. As a result, together with the elephant’s importance, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species placed the elephant on its most-endangered species list. Over 75 nations support the ban of ivory trade.

The elephant has given much inspiration to a Thai cartoonist named Add Matichon, and the Bangkok Asian Games Organizing Committee (BAGOC) in 1995 commissioned the cartoonist to create a mascot for the Games and he came up with a smiling elephant.

Later, BAGOC asked the Thai public to give this elephant a name: the public responded by submitting hundreds of names. A committee set up to pick the name finally chose Chai-Yo as it had the most votes and they believed that it was the most fitting name for the smiling, endearing elephant.

In the Thai language, Chai-Yo is also an expression Thais exclaim when they are overjoyed, happy and victorious. The word is used in every occasion, from weddings to cheering in sporting events.

It is this meaningful inspiration that the official mascot of the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 is the "Chai-Yo" elephant.

This Blood’s for you

The Banglamung Bloods and the Chonburi Crips rumbled on the diamond at this week’s Pattaya Sports Club softball game. Varying from the usual format of two seven inning games, this turf war was a single nine inning affair that left both teams bloodied but unbowed.

The Crips came out banging and put up four in the first behind Craig (Netman) Lewis’ timely hitting.

The Bloods answered back with two in the bottom half of the inning.

The second inning was scoreless, but in the top of the third, G’day David lined a bases loaded homer into the left field bleachers helping the Crips score six before the side was retired.

The Bloods came back with three in the third on a long double to center by Dick (The Stick) Cagg and a triple to left by C.F. (Fowl Ball) Macallen.

The Crips pushed two across in the top of the fifth, but the Bloods spurted for seven in the bottom of the inning behind a tape measure blast to left by Slammin Sammy with the bases juiced.

The Crips Sterling (Silver) Bechtel blasted a double off the facade in left scoring two to end a four run sixth.

The Bloods struck back with three, thanks to a clutch double by John (Baypoint) Bechtel. Down two going into the seventh, the Bloods made a defensive change and sent Mike (Mr. Ice) Berg to center where he proceeded to make two nice running catches to shut out the Crips.

The Bloods then grabbed the lead on Slammin Sammy’s second upper deck dinger of the day.

Dandy Dan doubled home an RBI and scored on Vagabond Mike’s single to left, putting the Crips up by one again.

The bottom of the eighth saw the Bloods regain the lead on a two run RBI double by Fowl Ball Macallen, which proved to be the winning runs as the Crips were stymied in the top of the ninth.

Final score: Bloods 20 - Crips 19.

Wanna rumble? Come on out to the game at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at Somprasong Plaza on Jomtien Beach Road. Equipment is provided and refreshments are available. All are welcome.

The Accident-Heart Attack - And-Lost-Runner Run

PH3 Run 767 - 16.11.98: Original Hares: P.-It and P. T.
SubHare: F & F
SubSubHares: German Shepherd And Yao Yao

Hello everybody, It’s me again. I don’t know if you remember, but about six weeks ago I was the scribe person. Well, today I can have another go at it and I am very excited. When I arrived at the Hare House about every five minutes I went to the toilet and I always wash my hands afterwards. My mum taught me this when I was very small. I was only pretending really, I was looking for that Tadpole lady who kept on rubbing my leg. However, she was not there. I think someone told her husband, The Frog person and he went hopping mad. But there were lots of other nice ladies and I managed to sit next to one on the bus. But she did not seem interested in me. That’s just the way my ordinary life seems to go. This time, as I new it was going to be a long bus ride, I brought some sandwiches for the ride.

The bus arrived at a big lake. Lots of people were standing around talking when that Chicken person called "Form a Circle!". And then this man came in and took off one of his shoes. And beer was poured into the shoe and he had to drink it while all the other people sang ‘drink it down down down’. Very strange. My mum would not like me to do something like that. We were then told that a man called P.-It could not be a hare because he crashed on his bike again. And this man called P.T. had a heart attack while setting the run. However, he waited going to the hospital until he had finished laying all that paper that hash people run after. And eventually a man called F & F, who was also a hare, told us about this run we were going on. He then said go off in that direction and make sure you stay on paper or you will get lost.

And away all the people went. I nearly had an accident while looking at this nice young lady. And then I got frightened when that man with no hair glared at me and I wanted to go home. But I carried on. There was a man blowing a trumpet called Steaming Lump. And people again shouting ‘on on’. And then they all stopped. I asked this nice girl why we had stopped and she said "Mailoo", which I didn’t understand. Someone said we were at a check. I thought it was a cross. But I am only a novice and I was shy to ask.

We kept on running around and around. Then I saw that man called Yao Yao, who I was sure I saw wearing a purple dress. But maybe I was wrong. He did not look a strange person to me. He was saying false trail, false trail. I thought maybe that man F & F had done something wrong. Then up ahead of me was that man Slippy. And sitting by the side of the lake were three nice girls. I think their names were Starstruck, Mrs. Kentucky, I did not know the third ones name, but she was very nice. I was feeling a bit shy running past on my own. I hope my mum does not read this.

And then it was all over. And people were talking and drinking beer. I noticed that in the back of a pickup truck, I think it belongs to this man named Alien P., his girlfriend Poke Her Hunchback was playing with this baby. I was thinking to myself I wish I was a baby because I would not mind some of that myself.

The light was beginning to fade and people were getting worried about a man with Sweet Balls. The girl with plastic boobs blew the trumpet and F & F went off to look for him. Another circle started and a large man Who Sold Pies came in. I was getting exited again and got my raffle ticket out. But the girls won all the prizes. I went and stood next to one of the winners thinking that she might feel sorry for me. But she did not really notice me. Then Steaming Lump came in and made people sit on a block of ice. I bet that must be cold. The man Who Sold Pies and Velcro Slick were then joined by a man called Sledge. All jostling to sit on some ice. Very strange. The Chicken person sang a song about large people. I don’t like to use the word fat. That’s personal.

F & F still out looking for the Sweet Balls. Surrogate hare Yao Yao came in with his new girlfriend. Maybe he was looking for a new dress. She was about the same size as him. This girl sat across this Yao Yao man. I think her name was Tango and that Chicken person sang a very bad song about this girl being very ugly. Me being a very shy person would have liked her to sit on me. But my mum would not have to know.

And then the man who glared at me came in. I think his name was Squarehead. I got very nervous in case he noticed me. So I hid behind a man called Glowfly. He was taking lots of pictures. This Squarehead sang some songs. But he did have some nice girls come in. They touched their behinds and breasts and sang. I don’t know if I should say this but it was "Bum Titty Bum". I quite liked that bit.

Some people came in because they had done lots of runs. A man named Tilac had done one hundred. A man named Groppy had done three hundred and fifty. To me he did not look like he could run at all. And that man Sledge had done four hundred and fifty. I suppose I should say well done, being that I have only done three of these runs. They must be good. And then everybody sang about a sweet chariot. And F & F came back. He took more people and went off to look for the man with Sweet Balls. I thought they were very brave.

We all got on the bus for the ride back. By now I had had a few beers and felt like I was an OK guy. I sat next to this girl named Nomlek. I rubbed her leg when the bus went round corners. She did not seem to notice. And I got excited again. But then we were back at the restaurant. It had a strange name. We had good food. There was excitement outside. The man with Sweet Balls had been found and F & F had been turned into a hash hero all in one day. Well done F & F. I then had to leave very quickly. I saw the Tadpole lady and I went all of a quiver. I could not control myself. I left very quickly without anyone noticing me leave. Very proud in my new hash shorts I got a baht bus to my hotel.

Nobby Horn

Look up the Pattaya Hash House Harriers on the Internet at http://members.tripod.com/~The_Nerd/hashsheet.html or email Susie at [email protected] or call 364 185. PH3 meets every Monday 15:30 hours at the Hare House in Soi Post Office.

Pattaya Sports Club Christmas Party 1998

The PSC Christmas Party will be held on Wednesday, 16 Dec. 98, at the Thai House, North Road, next to City Hall. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m.

As the PSC has no way of knowing how many members and guests are planning to attend this party, the PSC Executive Committee has decided to issue tickets in advance and limit the number of tickets to 500, due to the limited number of seats available.

Tickets will be available as follows: At the Thai House from 2 December thru 5 December from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Any remaining tickets will be available at the PSC office on Soi Diana Inn from 7 December.

Everyone will need a ticket to attend the party. Please present your PSC card when picking up the ticket and pay 600 baht for your guest, if any, at that time. Only one guest per member. At the party present your ticket and show your PSC card at the door. Enjoy the party.

Tippy’s on a roll

After week 8 of the Friday Premier Darts League, Tippy’s remain unbeaten after taking the match and the beer against Last Resort.

Murphy’s, who have still to win a game, lost everything to Sports Corner, while Rose Garden managed to beat Billy & Da, but lost the beer leg.

SGP Bar won their match and took the beer leg against Thistle. Texxan Inn won the match but lost the beer leg against the Bunker.

Lindsey from the Rose Garden still holds the highest check out to date with a 121 finish.

Craig from Sports Corner and Joe from Last Resort have hit a 180 to date.League Table

There has been some very good turnouts lately, with both sides turning out big teams, so keep it up! Also, everyone is welcome to join in on Fridays at 8:30 to play and join the fun.

	Won	Beer	Tons	Lost
Tippy’s Sports Corner Billy & Da Texxan Inn Last Resort Bunker Rose Garden SGP Bar Thistle Murphy’s	8 6 5 5 4 4 4 3 1 0	7 7 4 2 5 4 2 6 1 2	62 62 48 37 31 38 43 22 36 15	0 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 7 8