Sports Notes - Thailand Wins Sea Games Football Title - Coach Carvalho, Manager Sajakul Off Hook

James Loving - National Radio Text Service - Wednesday December 17, 2003

Thailand Wins Sea Games Football Title FAT Heat Turned Down - Zidane , Prinz FIFA Players of The Year - FIFA Men's Top 10 - Srichaphan Quits - Bahrain FIFA's Top Mover - Cambodia To Co-host Tiger Cup? - ESPN's Beg Borrow & Deal

THAILAND WINS SEA GAMES TITLE - Sajakul, Carvalho Temporarily Off Hook

The noose was getting tighter around the FAT (Football Association of Thailand) necks. The question on the minds of many was did they make the right decision of sacking their almost five year at the helm football coach Peter Withe. The FAT took the attitude of the NFL (National Football League) Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis… just win baby... just win.

After three straight losses in the Asian Cup Qualifiers under the new regime of coach Carlos Roberto Carvalho and manager Thavatchai Sajakul the grim reaper was lurking around the corner as the fickle Thai media that supported Withe's replacement were calling for his head.

The duo then turned things around with three straight wins to qualify for the finals of the Asian Cup.

And now this…. A Sea Games football championship. Now all is wonderful in wonderland and now Thailand is truly THE LAND OF SMILES.

After an overtime 2-1 golden goal victory over host Vietnam the Thai squad swarmed all over each other with joy and Carvalho was seem kissing a Sea Games gold medal that eluded him twelve years earlier during his first stint as coach of the squad. Thailand's loss to Indonesia in the final cost him his job.

Carvalho was that last and only coach to lose a Sea Games championship in twelve years. With this victory the Thai's have won six consecutive titles.

Now the plan is to prepare the squad for the 2006 World Cup in hopes of making it to the finals, something that they've never accomplished.

With the endorsement of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra the Thai government will reportedly allocate 100 million baht ($2.5 million USD) to the FAT to help make that dream come to fruition. Sajakul is to oversee the effort.

In our view Sajakul functions as the brains and PR contact. He speaks excellent English, and possesses a vibrant personality.

Carvalho is more introverted and speaks English though not confident enough to do so at press conferences.

Sajakul was Thailand's manager when Withe was hired. The two enjoyed success with a fourth-place finish in the 1998 Asian Games including a victory over South Korea. He left the squad to become a member of parliament prior to the Thai's victory over Arsenal.

In the past he is credited with assembling a Thailand Dream Team and the hope is to accomplish that feat again. He also was the manager of the Thai boxing team that produced two gold medals in the last Olympic games.

Sajakul also known as "Big Hoy" continues his duties as a member of parliament as well as being an advisor to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He is also a candidate to become the governor of Bangkok and is experienced as an actor on television .

Thailand is currently ranked 60th in the world moving up 15 positions. The jury remains out for the World Cup aspirations of a young squad that is ranked lower than when Withe was a the helm after his first Sea Games title and preparation for World Cup competition.

Carvalho was brought in to take the Thai's to the World Cup finals. His Sea Games title success has brought smiles and happiness and has saved him from being... deep fried in the FAT... for now. Stay tuned.

PARADORN QUITS

They say when the goin(g) gets tough the tough get goin(g). Well… Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan has left his Thai girlfriend singer/actress Tata Young. News reports say the breakup was due to complaints about the relationship sent via email to a web site.

Young is a major talent that sang "Reach For The Star" at the opening ceremonies of the 1998 Asian Games and has had a successful recording and acting career.

IS DENNIS RODMAN SERIOUS?

This past month former NBA rebounding king Dennis Rodman held a press conference to announce his interest of returning to the NBA at the age of 42. The power forward hasn't played in the NBA since the 1999-2000 season with the Dallas Mavericks.

It is common knowledge that when you apply for a job that you dress appropriately. For a businessman you wear a suite. At the press conference Rodman was wearing nose and ear rings.

The Rod Man should give some thought if his image is something that an NBA owner wants to deal with. If he were to dress as if he's prepared to go to work he should leave his rings at home… if there is another announcement.

FIFA MEN'S TOP 10:

Rank - Team - Rating

1. Brazil - 848

2. France - 827

3. Spain - 798

4. Netherlands - 752

5. Argentina - 744

6. Czech Republic - 743

7. Mexico - 740

8. Turkey - 738

9. England - 738

FIFA BEST PLAYERS ZIDANE - PRINZ

Zinedine Zidane and Birgit Prinz won the FIFA World Player of the Year award for 2003. It was Zidane's third FIFA Player of the Year title.

The Frenchman and he has equaled the record of his Real Madrid teammate Ronaldo, who has also won the title on three occasions.

With 264 points, "Zizou" fended off the challenge of his French international team- mate, Thierry Henry (186 pts), and 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year, Brazil's Ronaldo (176).

Prinz won the award for the first time. The award rounds off an extraordinary year for the striker, coming just two months after Germany's first FIFA Women's World Cup title following victory over Sweden in the Final in Los Angeles.

She turned the tables on Mia Hamm, who had beaten her to the title last year, with a total of 268 points (compared to 133 for the American). Sweden's Hanna Ljungberg (88 points) finished third in the vote

100 national team coaches cast their votes for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year 2003 and 142 took part in the men's vote.

BAHRAIN FIFA'S BEST MOVER IN 2003

Bahrain is, in many respects, the most unusual Best Mover of the Year ever. First of all, it is the smallest association ever to have won the award.

The country has only around 5,000 footballers, and some 700,000 inhabitants living in an area hardly bigger than Andorra, Singapore and a number of Caribbean countries.

Secondly, the team did not begin playing this year's international matches until September. Largely due to Bahrain's four wins in the qualifiers for the 2004 Asian Cup that they rocketed sky high in the last quarter.

The increase of 127 points and 41 places (from 105 to 64) gives ample proof of their stupendous rise. The Best Mover title is FIFA's award for a countries long-term commitment in all sectors - youth, futsal and primarily women's football. Bahrain is the first Asian country to claim the title.

FIFA TOP 50 CONTINENTAL COMPOSITION:

The continental composition of the FIFA Top 50 consists of: UEFA 25 teams, CONMEBOL 6, CAF 7, CONCACAF 5, AFC 7, OFC 0.

IS CAMBODIA TIGER CUP READY???

Cambodia is scheduled to co-host the 2004 Tiger Cup. The problem is will they achieve it. The 60,000 seat Olympic Stadium had been under renovation for years and isn't finished. The pitch is in poor shape. The company that is contacted to do the job is accused of putting their efforts towards developing the grounds surrounding the stadium ad not the sports facility.

ESPN's - BEG, BORROW & DEAL

Check out ESPN's Beg Borrow & Deal TV show. Lots of laughs showing how two four-person teams of strangers from various backgrounds compete to accomplish tasks involving sports. It shows how people must get along work together to win. As one team member said during a team dispute…. "There's no I in TEAM."

The teams have to accomplish 10 tasks with sports teams and work their way across the USA from New York City to San Francisco (3,000 miles) within a month. They must find a way to eat, sleep, communicate (Internet, cell phones) and travel WITHOUT MONEY.

Examples of tasks are: throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball (MLB) game, play an NBA player a game of HORSE and DEFEAT him.

FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW:

Horse is a game where players take turns shooting shots in order from anywhere they choose on the basketball court (i.e.; jump shot, hook shot etc.). The player that follows in order of the player that makes a shot must DUPLICATE the shot from the same spot on the floor.

When a player misses the shot they receive a letter. The first miss is an H, the second an O, the third an R until a player misses FIVE shots and spells out HORSE thereby being eliminated from the game. The surviving player is the winner.

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