The 26-year-old Singaporean claimed his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) title in Malaysia last month and became only the third Singaporean to win on the region’s secondary circuit, which was inaugurated as a gateway to the premier Asian Tour in 2010.

After taking a two-week break for his mandatory military service back home after his breakthrough win, Poh hopes to regain his momentum when he tees off for the ฿3,000,000 (approx. US$96,000) ADT event at the Suwan Golf and Country Club.

Poh, who sits in second place on the ADT Order of Merit, will be part of the elite XX-man field vying for honours at the popular event, which is celebrating its second consecutive edition on the ADT this week.

Defending champion Tirawat Kaewsiribandit will spearhead the local charge alongside reigning Order of Merit winner Pannakorn Uthaipas and current Merit leader Nitithorn Thippong, who has enjoyed one win and four top-10 finishes prior to his campaign this week.

In-form Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Oscar Zetterwall of Sweden, placed third, fourth and fifth respectively on the Order of Merit, will also feature in the Betagro Championship, which is the Tour’s second stop in Thailand this season.

Poh, who has been struggling with his driver recently, hopes an equipment change will put his game back on track as he targets a good showing in Thailand.

“I lost my touch a little after that two-week break and it has been a grind to get back on track. I was playing alright in the Asian Tour event in Bangladesh two weeks ago but the long rain delays and strong winds kind of threw me off my game,” said Poh, a double silver-medalist at the Southeast Asian Games in 2009 and 2015.

“I have been working hard on my game last week and I changed a new set of clubs. I have a new driver in the bag now so we will see how it works out. It is my first time playing this course and there are quite a lot of hazards out there. I am driving the ball well now which is the key this week.

“My goal now is to win the ADT Order of Merit and earn my Asian Tour card for next year. I have always loved playing in Thailand. The course is beautiful this week and competition is stiff but I am excited for the challenge,” Poh added.

Other notable names in the field include Thailand’s Danthai Boonma and Natipong Srithong, India’s Himmat Rai and Marcus Both of Australia, all winners on the region’s premier Tour.

The Betagro Championship is the ninth leg on the ADT 2018 schedule and will be jointly sanctioned by the All Thailand Golf Tour and the ADT. Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered on all ADT events with the winner earning a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading five players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

Billed as the “Tropical Island Regatta”, Samui Regatta attracts top yachts and sailors from around Asia each year, and also includes dinghy racing for youngsters. Debuting this year will be foiling kiteboards as the first stage of a new pan-Asia tour.

The final event of the regional 2017/18 AsianYachting Grand Prix, more than 500 sailors from 20+ countries will be taking part and with ongoing support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Samui Regatta has put Samui Island on the map as a world-class sailing and sports tourism destination.

The Thai men’s squad salvaged some pride after two straight defeats to South Korea and Indonesia had seen their hopes of a quarter-final berth evaporate on Tuesday night.

Yesterday’s win meant the hosts finished third in the group with one victory against two defeats, while winless Canada sank to the bottom. Last year’s runners-up Indonesia and South Korea were to meet last night but had already qualified.

“At least we didn’t finish bottom,” said Thai No 1 player Khosit Phetpradab. “We would love to stay longer in the tournament but South Korea and Indonesia are world class teams. We gave everything,” added the Thai world No 26 after his 21-15 21-16 win over Jason Anthony Ho-Shue of Canada.

With the exit of the men, Thailand’s hopes rest with the women’s Uber Cup team, which had already secured a quarter-final spot along with Taiwan as the two met head to head in Group B last night.

In Group A, Japan’s women dominated with three wins while Canada were second with two wins as both reserved spots in today’s last eight.

South Korea (three wins) and Denmark (two wins) qualify from Group C while China and Indonesia with three and two wins respectively in Group D also advanced.

On the men’s side, China and France topped Group A. Japan and Taiwan dominated Group C while defending champions Denmark and Malaysia progressed from Group D.

London – Fuelled by video nasties and sleepless nights, Unai Emery is ready for the challenge of succeeding Arsene Wenger after being appointed as Arsenal’s first new boss for 22 years.

Arsenal have made a habit of appointing managers out of left-field — Bertie Mee was a former physiotherapist, former Arsenal star George Graham came from second-tier Millwall and Wenger was greeted with “Arsene Who?” headlines following his move from Japan’s Nagoya Grampus 8 in 1996.

Emery is seen by some as another surprise choice after the Gunners reportedly initially favoured Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta.

But Emery, a 46-year-old Spaniard, arrives with grand credentials following his two-year stay with Paris Saint Germain and a Europa League-winning spell at Sevilla.

Emery left Paris at the end of this season having won the domestic treble.

Now he is tasked with raising standards at the Emirates Stadium and restoring Arsenal to the kind of glory they enjoyed in the early years of Wenger’s reign.

Emery already has one thing in common with Wenger after making clear his disdain for the Frenchman’s old rival Jose Mourinho.

When Manchester United boss Mourinho, then in charge of Real Madrid, devoted a press conference to criticising referee Carlos Clos Gomez in 2010, Emery gave an acerbic retort, snarling: “Mourinho’s stance is that of a cry baby”.

It was a jibe typical of the intense Emery, who was steeped in football from birth, with his father and grandfather both former players.

Emery had a modest playing career, largely spent in Spain’s lower leagues, but he was an instant hit in his managerial debut with third-tier Lorca.

He achieved promotion and then moved to Almeria, who he took up to La Liga for the first time before taking over at Valencia, where he guided the team into the Champions League with three consecutive top-three finishes.

Valencia’s vibrant style earned him the admiration and friendship of Pep Guardiola.

Emery moved to Sevilla where he won three consecutive Europa League trophies in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Emery has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most studious coaches, working until the early hours of the morning crafting his game-plans.

 – Perfectionist –

He spends up to 12 hours preparing video analysis for his players and former Valencia winger Joaquin once quipped: “There were so many videos I ran out of popcorn.

“He’s obsessed with football, it’s practically an illness. He’s one of the best managers I’ve had.”

Emery is a perfectionist who demands relentless effort on the training ground.

“Either we all work or let’s just burst the ball,” he said, giving voice to an approach that might shake Arsenal out of the complacency that mared the end of the Wenger era.

Significantly, Emery has flourished within a structure similar to the one now in place at Arsenal, who lean heavily on head of recruitment Sven Mislintat and head of football operations Raul Sanllehi, both recruited last November.

At Sevilla, Emery worked well with recruitment director Monchi and Arsenal are gambling the same structure pays dividends for them.

The main worry for Arsenal fans might be Emery’s ill-fated spell with Spartak Moscow in 2012 and his failure to fulfil his mandate at Paris Saint-Germain, where he was asked to win the Champions League after moving to the big-spending French giants in 2016.

Emery was let go by PSG with one year left on his contract and the roots of demise lay in two painful Champions League exits and a troubled relationship with star striker Neymar.

In 2017, a woeful 6-1 loss in Barcelona saw PSG surrender a 4-0 first leg lead in an incredible last-16 meltdown.

On the heels of that collapse, this season’s capitulation against Real Madrid in the last-16 ensured Emery’s time in Paris would be short-lived.

Wenger’s travails in recent years mean Emery will not have to worry about the Champions League in the coming season but Arsenal can rest assured their ultra-driven boss will be working all hours to get them back there.//AFP

The 28-year-old Tirawat, who turned professional in 2010, had battled through a back injury to lift his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title with a three-shot victory last year, albeit on a different course.

His breakthrough win spurred him to four top-10 finishes on the Asian Tour where he finished on a career-high 36th place on the 2017 Order of Merit, thereby retaining his playing rights on the region’s premier Tour for the 2018 season.

Despite making only one cut in seven starts on the Asian Tour so far this season, the lanky Thai is hopeful of turning his season around with a repeat victory at the ฿3,000,000 (approx. US$96,000) event, which is the ADT’s second stop in Thailand this year.

“My game has definitely improved a lot after winning on the ADT last year. It was a great boost to my confidence. I remember I couldn’t even rotate my hips through my swing at one point last year because of the back injury and I had to take a break from golf for a month,” said Tirawat.

“I have been taking care of my body since the injury and doing a lot of stretching which helps. It’s so important to be mindful of your body especially after you have recovered from an injury.

“I am just grateful that I can play 18 holes without feeling any pain now and I am happy to be playing golf without having to think so much,” he added.

Tirawat will lead a strong Thai contingent which includes reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Pannakorn Uthaipas, newly-crowned ADT winners Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and Nitithorn Thippong, in the event, jointly sanctioned by the All Thailand Golf Tour and the ADT.

Singapore’s Johnson Poh, Argentinean Miguel Carballo and Sweden’s Oscar Zetterwall placed second, third and fifth and respectively on the ADT Order of Merit, will also feature in the talented 144-man field, which consists of 60 players from the ADT, 64 players from the All Thailand Golf Tour and 20 players from the Qualifier.

Other notable names include Australian duo Marcus Both and Adam Blyth and India’s Himmat Rai, all winners on the Asian Tour.

The Betagro Championship is the ninth leg on the ADT’s 2018 schedule. All ADT events are afforded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status. The winner of each tournament receives a minimum of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading five players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.