Sports

Chiang Mai at the Leading Edge of Kickboxing for Women

Published

7 years ago

December 2, 2017

Bchcomber

As the sun sets, a girl trains at Pettonpung, the gym in a rural village just outside Chiang Mai, a small city in the north of Thailand. – Photo Arthur Nazaryan

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CHIANG MAI – In northern Thailand, by the side of a back country road winding through rice paddies, there is the curious sight of a boxing ring and row of punching bags. A poster hanging above the ring features the fighters who train there — and almost all of them are girls.

Even if you managed to spot Pettonpung Gym from the road, you probably wouldn’t guess that it’s produced some of the most renowned female fighters in Thailand and that it’s been an integral part of making the nearby city of Chiang Mai the epicenter of female kickboxing in Thailand. In fact, according to seasoned kickboxer Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu, 34, it’s “becoming the best female fight city in the country and very possibly in the entire world.”

Five years ago, Duuglas-Ittu moved from New Jersey — where she first started learning Muay Thai in the makeshift gym of her 70-year-old Thai trainer’s basement — to Thailand, to continue her training there. She spent about two years practicing at Lanna Gym in Chiang Mai and has since fought nearly 200 times in the country.

Duuglas-Ittu also runs a blog called 8Limbs, where she has frequently written about Pettonpung and how special Chiang Mai is for female fighters.

Phetlilaa lies down and rests before the start of her fight at Thapae Boxing Stadium in central Chiang Mai.

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One of those kick-boxers goes by the name Phetlilaa, a 14-year-old girl who lives near Pettonpung, and is one of the most prominent female fighters in Chiang Mai. Earlier this year, Duuglas-Ittu, who has trained with Phetlilaa, wrote that she was “widely thought of as the next Thai female superstar.”

Phetlilaa’s mom typically drops her off at the gym after school, often waiting and watching her train from a cluttered picnic table by the roadside. The gym has the feel of a community center as parents gather and chat while their kids kickbox. The head coach, a former army colonel who goes by the name Khun Yai, does not charge the local girls any fee to attend the gym. He takes a “lead from behind” approach, allowing seasoned fighters like Phetlilaa to show newer girls the ropes.

And this is just one of at least three gyms in Chiang Mai that is predominantly for girls who go on to fight in any of the five permanent stadiums in the city.

Suraphan Gongsert, the main promoter for Loi Kroh Boxing Stadium, says that he books at least one female fight every night — sometimes two or three. “Chiang Mai is the best city in Thailand for female fighting,” he says, confidently.

But it was only 10 years ago that there were hardly any girls fighting in those stadiums, even if they were allowed to. Gongsert explains that girls used to box only in ceremonial fights in local temples, during festivals or holidays. And in Bangkok today, the official stadiums still do not allow women, citing their adherence to the tradition in which women were barred from nonceremonial fights.

On a humid afternoon, girls come to train at Pettonpung after school. Photo Arthur Nazaryan

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“Chiang Mai is the best city in Thailand for female fighting.” — Suraphan Gongsert, the main promoter for Loi Kroh Boxing Stadium

In spite of this, Gongsert says kickboxing has become more popular with women across the country in recent years, and Chiang Mai is at the leading edge. It has a lot to do with the fact that the city’s stadiums have now started accepting female fighters. Kawila, a military stadium that burned down about six years ago, did not allow women to box until after it was rebuilt.

“Having so many stadia that allow women to fight there creates a great deal of opportunity and because of that opportunity, it’s also created a greater number of female fighters in the area who have that opportunity to keep fighting,” says Duuglas-Ittu.

Until she retired in late 2017, Phetlilaa fought at least once a week, and she says she would’ve done so more if she could’ve found more local fighters in her weight class and skill level.

On a balmy Wednesday night in September, at Loi Kroh Boxing Stadium, a crowd of about 50 people — most of them foreigners — cheered wildly as she faced off against an opponent who traveled from the northeastern region of Isaan. “There are several fights almost every night for female boxing [in Chiang Mai], which is different from other cities like in Isaan, which only occasionally have fights,” says Phetlilaa.

Duuglas-Ittu says the fact that there is less gambling in Chiang Mai’s stadiums — which rely more on tourism dollars — has also fostered a better environment for female fighters because it means matches with lower stakes, which translates into more chances for girls to fight.

Phetlilaa fights her opponent at Thapae Stadium, in central Chiang Mai, where Kob Cassette is the promoter. – Photo Arthur Nazaryan

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She explains that women in Chiang Mai have “more opportunities to fight because there isn’t a risk of losing 30,000 baht [about $1,000] on the fight and you’re going [to] get paid for it kind of as a job more, so I think that that creates more opportunity in Chiang Mai than you have in other areas where there’s greater risk on each fight.”

In fact, Gongsert says he has banned gambling at Loi Kroh Boxing Stadium in order to make the fights more legitimate and respectable.

He says that over the past decade or so, families have also begun to see kickboxing as a job that can provide regular income. For many, the lure of the paycheck that each fight brings — about 2,000 baht ($60) per fight, win or lose — outweighs whatever reservations they may have had previously about breaking from traditional values that frown on women boxing.

That’s what happened with Phetlilaa, who says she grew up without a father and felt that she needed to do whatever she could to help her family financially. At first, people would tell her that such a painful sport is not for girls, and she, herself, wasn’t sure if it was a good fit.

But once she saw her skill rapidly improve after a couple fights, and the money started coming in, she was hooked. “I didn’t first want to be a boxer. I didn’t even think about it. [My trainer] Lung Yai kept inviting me, so I gave it a try. After several trainings, I got to fight. Then I got some money. So, I chose to keep doing it to help support my mom,” she says.

Kob Cassette poses for a portrait in his office in the back of Thapae Boxing Stadium. Photo
Arthur Nazaryan

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One of the people who set the stage for fighters like Phetlilaa to thrive in Chiang Mai is Prasit Daengsuwan, better known by his nickname, Kob Cassette, the promoter for Thapae Stadium, who has taken a keen interest in making female fights a daily occurrence in his city. He also happens to be the president of the northern region for Muay Siam, a national Muay Thai association.

In his cramped office tucked in the corner behind Thapae Stadium’s ring, Kob Cassette recalls that it was about four years ago that Muay Siam began to officially categorize female fighters according to weight class, paving the way for official tournaments.

“I didn’t first want to be a boxer. I didn’t even think about it. [My trainer] Lung Yai kept inviting me, so I gave it a try. After several trainings, I got to fight. Then I got some money. So, I chose to keep doing it to help support my mom.” — Phetlilaa, 14, kickboxer

The initiative started in Chiang Mai — under Kob Cassette’s direction — after Muay Siam’s Bangkok office identified it as the region with the most female fighters. Kob Cassette estimates there are about 200 female fighters in the province.

The administrative change was probably the key step toward making Chiang Mai such a strong incubator for female fighters. “He definitely currently plays a big role so I would [imagine] he played an instrumental role in its development, as well,” says Duuglas-Ittu of Kob Cassette.

Ultimately, the fighters still have their eye on Bangkok or even fighting abroad in countries like China — where fights can bring as much as 15,000 baht (about $500) — once they are good enough to compete on that level.

Even still, Duuglas-Ittu finds herself traveling from Pattaya, the small city outside of Bangkok where she lives, hundreds of kilometers north to Chiang Mai, so she can train and catch up with the girls of Pettonpung. “It’s pretty amazing; I’ve not seen it anywhere else,” she says.

By Arthur Nazaryan
GlobalPost

Sports

Bo Bichette’s Injury may Permanently Sideline him, According to the Latest Update.

Published

4 months ago

July 20, 2024

Salman

(CTN News) – Bo Bichette, the shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays, left the game against the Detroit Tigers on Friday after six innings due to a strained right calf.

The game was played against the Tigers. In the end, the Blue Jays were defeated by a score of 5-4 by the opposing team.

Bo Bichette hit a line drive to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning, and it appeared that he injured his calf when he was sprinting to first base. The damage appeared to be caused by the line drive.

The calf that is causing the problem is the same one that Bo Bichette has been experiencing issues with throughout the entire season. After suffering a strain to his right calf fascia on July 10 while playing against the San Francisco Giants, he was forced to sit out the last four games before the All-Star break from the National Football League.

Because of the discomfort in his right calf, he has been out for nine games since then, and he did not return to action until the 24th of June.

Before the trade deadline on July 30, it is very clear that the Blue Jays will be deconstructed for pieces. It is fairly obvious that the Blue Jays have lost any possibility of winning in the American League East, which is a highly competitive division. Additionally, it is pretty certain that they will be disfigured for pieces.

Bo Bichette’s injuries could prevent him from being traded in the future.

However, it is probable that this injury will preclude him from participating in any further trade conversations. Recent trade rumors have stated that Bo Bichette could be a contender for a trade;

However, it is possible that this scenario will not occur. After an MRI was finished on Friday, Bo Bichette was placed on the injured list for a period of ten days. This list will remain in effect until that time.

Bichette will almost definitely be placed on the disabled list for a period of time that is longer than the minimum of ten days, even if the findings of the MRI come back negative. This is because of the recent spate of calf problems that have been occurring.

There is a lack of clarity on whether or not the Blue Jays would have been willing to trade Bo Bichette regardless of the ailment that he was suffering from.

It has been reported that Toronto has informed other clubs that they are not prepared to trade any players who are under their control beyond the year 2024.

Bo Bichette’s contract with the organization ends in 2025.

Additionally, Toronto has informed other teams for this reason. At the beginning of June, it seemed as though the general manager of the Blue Jays, Ross Atkins, was opposed to the concept of trading Bo Bichette while he was still on the team.

Bichette claimed in a recent comment that he would not be “surprised at all” if he were to be traded to a different team. He said this in reference to the possibility of being traded.

His batting average is even worse than it has ever been in his whole career.He has participated in 79 games so far this season, and he has a batting average of 223 and an on-base percentage of.597 to his name.

The two-time winner Despite the fact that the All-Star is having a challenging season, he would have a far higher chance of having a good season if he were to play for a team that was involved in a more intense level of competition.

On the other hand, it would appear that Bichette will not be participating in a game for a substantial amount of time, regardless of whether he is playing for the Blue Jays or for another team.

SOURCE: FS

Sports

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau started disastrously at the British Open.

Published

4 months ago

July 18, 2024

Salman

(CTN News) – Forget about Rory McIlroy’s final opportunity to compete in a major tournament this year; the British Open may have been his final opportunity.

At present, his most promising prospect is to endure for an additional day. Bryson DeChambeau, the US Open champion, is also present.

On Thursday, Pinehurst No. 2 protagonists encountered Rory McIlroy’s additional complications as a result of an opposing wind that arrived at Royal Troon. McIlroy required two strokes to emerge from a deep hazard located just to the right of the 123-yard eighth hole, which is referred to as the “Postage Stamp.”

Rory McIlroy’s mallet sailed over the rails after three holes.

It culminated in a 7-over 78, which was his lowest major opening round in five years. “I just didn’t do a good enough job on that back nine, and the conditions were tough,” according to him.

DeChambeau was not significantly superior. He encountered difficulties in making par shots at the outset; on the fourth hole, a par-5, he even missed one from three feet.

The par-5 seventh hole resulted in a double bogey for him as he attempted to strike a 7-iron through dense grass, but the ball was only moved a short distance.

Following his 76, he proceeded to the range to evaluate his equipment and determine the reason for his ball’s failure to connect with the driver as anticipated.

He observed, “That day was unusual.” It is highly unlikely that either of them will forget their involvement in the morning wave or their role as the primary attraction following the U.S. Open.

Rory McIlroy was in complete control of his destiny and was leading by two strokes on the back nine before missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and another par putt from just within 4 feet on the 18th hole, which prolonged his 10-year major drought.

Making a putt from a bunker 55 yards away, DeChambeau secured his second U.S. Open victory. Rory McIlroy’s finale was so challenging that he departed Pinehurst No. 2 without expressing his gratitude to DeChambeau or expressing any sentiments.

McIlroy was optimistic about his form as he approached the final major of the year, following his tie for fourth at the Rory McIlroy Scottish Open last week. Conversely, the wind came from the opposite direction, disrupting the plans of both him and his colleagues.

On the shortened front nine, where high scores are possible, it was directly in their faces. Assistance was provided from the left on the longer back nine, which is challenging in any conditions. McIlroy was taken aback by the difficulty of the back nine, as Rory McIlroy had anticipated that it would be less difficult.

“The course was exceedingly challenging.” The circumstances are exceedingly difficult due to the wind that has yet to be observed this week. McIlroy stated that the wind dictated his strategy during the practice sessions.

However, according to him, “it starts to present different options and you start to think about maybe hitting a few clubs that you haven’t hit in practice when you get a wind you haven’t played in.”

“Just one of those days where I didn’t adjust to the circumstances well enough.” It was not a satisfactory conclusion to the round. Following his decision to play a driver off the 18th.

On the left, Rory McIlroy fired sideways due to a pot bunker.

He drove the wedge to a distance of Rory McIlroy approximately eight feet, made one final bogie, and missed one additional putt, indicating that there was still a significant amount of work to be done.

In order to survive the weekend, he declared, “I must improve my performance under those circumstances.” If not, I should endeavor to advance further on the leaderboard and feel as though I have a reasonable chance. McIlroy was ten strokes behind the lead when he finished, but he had hoped for a smaller margin.

Until he reached the par-5 16th, DeChambeau did not complete a hole below par. It is more accurate to describe him as a sluggish bleeding individual. That was the only positive aspect of the day. An eagle putt of 55 feet was executed on the 565-yard hole by him.

“I am satisfied with the way in which I maintained my composure today,” stated DeChambeau. It would have been so easy for me to give up at nine o’clock and declare, ‘I’m going home’.” No, sir. There will be an additional opportunity for me tomorrow. As I anticipate the assignment, I am eager to begin.

“I will be fine if I am able to make a few putts, hit a few shots, and figure out how to use the equipment.”

SOURCE: CT

Sports

France Reaches Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals with Late Own Goal Against Belgium

Published

4 months ago

July 2, 2024

Arsi2021

France Reaches Euro 2024 Quarter-Finals with Late Own Goal Against Belgium

(CTN News) – Jan Vertonghen’s late own goal advanced France to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024 at Belgium’s expense. A game that lacked quality and excitement for long stretches appeared destined for extra time, but a shot by replacement Randal Kolo Muani rebounded off Vertonghen with five minutes left to win the victory at Dusseldorf Arena.

France had previously missed multiple chances due to a lack of a cutting edge, and even captain Kylian Mbappe made efforts that would typically go wide.

Belgium could have seized the lead before France’s late goal when Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne sprinted into space through the middle, but Mike Maignan blocked his effort.

That was the only real opportunity for the underperforming Belgians, as France closed out the final few minutes to advance to the last eight, where they will meet Portugal or Slovenia.

Didier Deschamps’ team deserved to win, but the 2018 world champions will be relieved more than anything else after struggling to convert chances into goals once more.

They dominated play for long stretches but only had one effort on goal in the first half, Antoine Griezmann’s low strike from distance, which was well saved.

Mbappe is one of the world’s top forwards, but even he struggled when given a shooting opportunity, curling over in the second half after doing well to create space for himself.

France is through but still needs to improve.

In the end, they had 19 shots on goal, but only two were on target, and they are still waiting for their first goal from open play in Germany.

In a theme common to all of the bigger teams remaining in Euro 2024, France is struggling to play at the level they are capable of, but for the time being, they will relish being one step closer to the final.

Belgium was booed off the pitch by some fans after only drawing with Ukraine in their last group game, but their supporters were hopeful that they would improve their performance against the French.

However, they were once again overly cautious for extended periods, and their threatening moments were fleeting.

However, they should have punished France for their carelessness with De Bruyne’s effort in the dying moments, while Romelu Lukaku, who is leaving Euro 2024 without a goal, also saw a low shot saved in the second half.

Like Croatia, this has seemed like one last chance for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, with players like De Bruyne and Lukaku in their 30s.

And, like Croatia, they will leave the tournament wondering whether this was a squandered chance to achieve what could have been with this set of players.

Source: BBC Sports