GOLF
KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT
The Sports Authority of Thailand has promised further financial support to help bring more Asian Tour events to the country, SAT governor Kanokphand Chulakasem said yesterday.
SAT sponsored the Singha Thailand PGA Championship in Chiang Rai last weekend for 11 million baht in prize money.
The tournament was a success in terms of both helping develop local golfers and boosting the country's enonomy.
''We are on right track in our support for golf,'' Kanokphand said. ''Next year, we will spend more money so that we will see more Asian Tour events in Thailand. I am sure we are capable of organising at least another event.''
There are four Asian Tour events in Thailand this year.
Kanokphand said that SAT was proud to see more young Thai players have a chance to hone their skills on their home course at the Chiang Rai event.
It was good for the economy in during the low season as more than 100 foreign golfers, accompanied by their families, came to play and spend money in Thailand, he said.
Peera Fongdawirat, SAT director for professional sports, said several Thai golfers moved up in the Asian Tour's Order of Merit after the Chiang Rai event because they played well on their home soil.
He said local youngsters would be invited to watch the event next year so that they could get an inspiration to play golf.
The director said SAT would have more budget for professional sports, particularly golf, in the next fiscal year. In the 2007 fiscal year, the Thailand PGA received 21.5 million baht from SAT.
The Singha Thailand PGA Championship is one of the four Asian Tour tournaments in Thailand this year although it is the first tournament of co-operation between the Thailand PGA and the Asian Tour.
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