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Gold at last
- Published: 18 Nov 2010 at 11.18
- Online news: Easier Stuff
Happily, today's Asian games story is now out-of-date as taekwando competitor Sarita Pongsri wins Thailand's first gold.
Update: 16:10 Sarita Pongsri has just won Thailand's first gold with a win in taekwondo!!
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Still looking for number one
Olympic hero Buttree Puedpong, left, lost to Taiwan’s Huang Hsien Yung 3-0 in the quarter-finals in the women's 46kg division THITI WANNAMONTA
When the 16th Asian Games began last Saturday Thai sports officials were hoping the Kingdom would come away with 16 gold medals.
As of yesterday, however, they were still looking for gold medal number one. And with two of the most promising teams, taekwondoe and boxing, flopping so far, that 16-gold estimate looks increasingly unrealistic.
Thai athletes are winning medals but they are mainly bronze. Three came yesterday — two in taekwondo and one in wushu.
One unhappy bronze-medal winner was Olympic taekwondo silver medallist Buttree Puedpong who lost 3-0 in sudden-death extra time to a Taiwanese athlete.
In boxing, Apichet Saensit was the only winner among three Thai boxers in action yesterday.
The situation was a bit better in badminton where Boonsak Ponsana took an easy 21-13, 21-9 win over Macus Chan Io Chong of Hong Kong in the first round of the men’s singles.
From here on, however, the competition will be fierce. The Thai ace will face Kit Yan Chan of Indonesia in the next round and could meet world No.1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the quarter-finals.
There seems little hope of a medal in golf where Atthachai Jaichalad was tied for ninth after the first day of the men’s competition, shooting a 73, five behind Miguel Luis Tabuena of the Philippines. The Thai women were 10 strokes off the pace in their team competition.
Afghanistan's only golf course is without trees and water.
Maybe it’s time to remember that taking part in a big international competition and doing your best is reward enough.
That is why Ali Ahmad Fazel, one of two Afghans playing in their first-ever international tournament, came away happy after firing an incredible 58-over-par 130 on day one of the men’s competition.
It was “a good performance,” said Ali who prepared for the tournament on the country’s only course in Kabul.
‘‘There are only nine holes in Kabul and no water traps and there are no trees,’’ said team-mate Hashmattulah Sarwaree who was only 36 over par on day one.
Adapted from stories in today’s Bangkok Post.
promising – likely to be successful or very good มีอนาคตดี,มีความหวัง
flop – to fail completely ล้มเหลว, ไม่สำเร็จ
estimate – an amount that you guess or calculate using the information available ประมาณการ
unrealistic – based on hopes or wishes, and not on what is likely or possible ดูไม่สมจริง, ไม่เป็นความจริง
sudden-death – an extra period of time added to the end of a game when both players or teams have the same score, in which the team that scores first wins
fierce – very strong รุนแรง, ดุเดือด
ace – someone who is very good at doing something ตัวเอก, ผู้ที่มีความสามารถมาก
tied – having the same score ได้แต้มหรือคะแนนเท่ากัน, เสมอกัน
off the pace – behind the best score
reward – something given in exchange for good behaviour or good work, etc รางวัล
incredible – difficult to believe ไม่น่าเชื่อ
performance – the standard to which someone does something การกระทำ, การแสดง, การทำให้บรรลุผลสำเร็จ
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- Writer: Terry Fredrickson
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