Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to flock to Buriram, the main settlement of a steamy rice-farming area playing the unlikely host to the Thailand Grand Prix.

Organising a MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, is already a victory — but there is speculation that Formula One could be next in the sights of Buriram, whose racetrack is F1-certified.

With a population of just 30,000, Buriram has boomed in recent years on the back of multi-million-dollar investment in sports infrastructure.

In 2011 came the ‘Thunder Castle’, a 32,600-capacity stadium for Thai Premier League football champions Buriram United.

Three years later followed the $60 million, Hermann Tilke-designed Chang International Circuit, which will now host one of the biggest sports events in Thai history.

Buriram got the nod for MotoGP after Bangkok scrapped moves towards a suggested Formula One night race on the streets of the Thai capital.

The MotoGP, which starts with practice sessions on Friday and culminates on Sunday, represents a step into the international limelight for the rural backwater.

Thailand has paid about $3 million a year for the rights to hold the race for three years, according to local media.

Some riders have already grumbled about the track being less exciting than others and about the addition of an extra leg, extending the season to 19 races.

Humidity and possible heavy rains, which are common in the Southeast Asian country at this time of year, could be a worry as well.

– The ‘Baron of Buriram’ –

The season, now in its 15th race, is reaching its endgame with Marc Marquez closing in on a fifth MotoGP world title, with a 72-point lead in the standings.

“Thailand promises to be unpredictable,” Jamie Klein, UK editor of Motorsport.com, told AFP.

“Nobody can be totally sure what to expect, which opens up the possibility of a surprise winner or an upset.”

Marquez said he felt confident but he admitted that the weather may be a factor.

“The test has been good, we were very, very fast but now they told me that it’s rainy season and everything can happen,” he said.

The burden of arranging a world-class event requires levels of manpower and organisation previously unseen in Buriram.

Nearly 1,700 police officers will be on duty, hotels with 60 rooms or more are fully booked, and only small resorts outside of the provincial city or on Airbnb are available.

Campsites have also sprung up on online travel sites like Booking.com.

Securing the race is another feather in the cap for Newin Chidchob, an ex-politician-turned-sports mogul dubbed ‘the Baron of Buriram’ whose rural power base has made him a key political broker.

Newin is eyeing a complete transformation of his hometown from an up-country pit stop to a hub which will draw three million people a year.

Thousands of jobs, hotel rooms and hundreds of restaurants have already followed in the wake of the stadium’s construction.

– ‘Global recognition’ –

For the money spent on the MotoGP, the payback is expected to run into billions of Thai baht (tens of millions of dollars).

Big-name sponsors include duty-free giant King Power — which also owns Leicester City Football Club — Thai beer company Chang, energy and banking firms as well as Southeast Asia’s ride-hailing app Grab.

After MotoGP, there is much talk that Newin may try to entice the much bigger and higher-profile Formula One, fulfilling a long-held aspiration in Thai tourism and sports.

The mix of small towns and F1 has not always been sucessful, however. The Korean Grand Prix was dropped from the Formula One calendar only three years after it was unveiled in the rural county of Yeongam in 2010.

For now it is a guessing game as to whether Thais will show up in numbers. In a country where the daily minimum wage is about $10, tickets start at $60 for a seat in the stands and creep into the hundreds for VIP areas.

However, the early signs are good as tickets from the official MotoGP site are sold out.

“We have to evaluate after this first-year event,” said Wandee Tiansawatkit, an advisor to the Buriram Hotel Club, adding that sentiment was “upbeat” about the race.

With millions of dollars at stake, the Thai government says it is prepared for the challenges.

“This is an important opportunity for our country to earn global recognition,” Ruj Saeng-udom, the deputy governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, told reporters.

Mourinho has now failed to win in four consecutive home matches for the first time in his career following defeat to Tottenham, a draw against newly promoted Wolves and a League Cup exit on penalties to second division Derby.

Already nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City and Liverpool, it now appears a question of when and not if Mourinho goes, with an unhappy squad now mirrored by disgruntled fans and outspoken former players.

The home faithful implored their side to “attack, attack, attack” in the second half of Tuesday’s stalemate.

But unlike the old days under Alex Ferguson, there was no late onslaught on the Valencia goal as the Spaniards, who have won just one game in nine themselves this season, comfortably held out for a point.

“We don’t have the technical quality to build from the back,” said Mourinho of United’s often route one football.

“We knew we wouldn’t create 20 chances. Our attacking players aren’t in their best moments of confidence and individual level.”

As some of Ferguson’s most famous pupils watched on, it was another 90 minutes that showed how far United have fallen since the class of ’92 made their mark by going for the throat of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus among others on thrilling European nights at Old Trafford.

– ‘Embarrassing the club’ –

David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt were in attendance, while Paul Scholes was scathing of Mourinho even before the match started following a dire 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Saturday.

“I think his mouth is probably out of control and I think he’s embarrassing the club,” said Scholes, who also expressed his surprise that Mourinho is still in charge.

For how much longer will depend on how long the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward is willing to let his bet on the Portuguese run before cutting his losses.

A failure to qualify for the Champions League is what forced Woodward’s hand in the past in firing David Moyes and Louis van Gaal. Mourinho’s contract with United runs until 2020, meaning sacking the Portuguese would mean a significant payout.

United already sit five points off the top four after seven games and have daunting trips to Chelsea and Manchester City to come in two of their next five Premier League games as well as two Champions League clashes with Juventus.

Mourinho has at least got the three-time European champions back on the Champions League stage by winning the Europa League in his first campaign and finishing second to City in the Premier League last season.

He has cited both achievements in the past few days in defence of his record in just over two years in charge, but increasingly Mourinho is having to lean on his past glories to justify a future.

After a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham in August he called for more respect as a three-time Premier League winner.

However two of those titles came more than a decade ago, with Chelsea in an era when United really were the benchmark.

Now, like their manger, they are a club longing for days gone by.

All that changed, when a former garbage collector named Srisaket Sor Rungvisai came in. He first defeated the Nicaraguan via decision, and later returned to knock out “Chocolatito,” which shook the division, and the boxing world, to its core.

Now with a new king, the division remains as exciting as ever. Not only is it a highly-competitive bracket, but it has given us some of the best bouts of this year. The top roster of talent isn’t afraid to do battle with each other, which has only strengthened the division. Additionally, there are a lot of young guys coming up who are hungry to make a name for themselves.

Tipping the scales at 115 pounds (or 52 kilograms), these guys are fast, high-volume punchers known for their exceptional cardio.

ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong immediately saw the untapped potential in this division, and he will be giving the opportunity of a lifetime to Srisaket.

Headlining ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, Srisaket will get to defend his WBC Super Flyweight World Title in his homeland in ONE’s inaugural boxing match-up. It will be his third title defense overall, but very first in Thailand.

“I am excited to showcase my skills at home in Bangkok. As a world champion boxer, this is a rare opportunity for me to be able to compete in front of my people,” he said.

His opponent, Iran Diaz, is quickly rising through the ranks of the division. He has an overall record of 14-2-3, with six of those victories coming from KO, which earned him the nickname “MagnifiKO.” Since the day he stepped foot in a boxing gym, winning a world title has been Diaz’s ultimate goal. Now, thanks to Sityodtong, he will finally have that golden opportunity.

Taking on the current champion, the Mexican challenger will definitely have his hands full. Srisaket is a hard punching and extremely exciting boxer who has the support of a nation behind him.

Including boxing as part of the ONE Super Series, specifically the super flyweight division, has created a lot of international media attention for the smaller guys who are often overshadowed by the heavier weights.

Opportunities like these with ONE Championship are giving all boxers something more to work towards.

It was a true team effort by the quick-to-improvise Thais, who had 17 points each from middle blocker Nuekjang Thatdao, with nine spikes and four blocks and aces, and Kongyot Ajcharaporn, who led the attack with 16 spikes. T&T’s top scorer was southpaw spiker Krystele Esdelle with 15 points, one more than Channon Thompson and Sinead Jack.

T&T looked lethargic at the start against the fired-up Thais, calling a TO after losing the first four points and trailing 8-1 at the first TTO.

Middle blocker and captain Thinkaow Pleumjit looked set for a fierce battle at the centre of the net with Sinead Jack as they traded tasty spikes in the early stages, but it was a Pimpichaya block on Channon Thompson that took the Thais into the second TTO ahead 16-10.

Thompson started cranking out some super spikes and southpaw Krystle Esdelle also found her way past the Thai defence to keep T&T right on their heels, only for some unforced errors at critical times to enable Thailand to pull clear and win the opening frame 25-17 with a winner at the net by middle blocker Nuekjang Thatdao.

The Thai dig was so good that, at one point in the second set, Esdelle turned her back on the play thinking her ferocious spike had brought a point, only to turn and see the ball was still alive – and for her team to finally win the point.

T&T could not rectify their serve reception and this caused them to lose some easy points, as well as upsetting their attacking patterns. A right-wing spike from Ajcharaporn moved Thailand closer and Thatdao was having a fine game in attack and block.

Thailand finished strongly to take the second set 25-17 when Pleumjit pounced at the net for 2-0.

In the third set, T&T opened up a five-point lead 8-3 at the first TTO to give them rare breathing space – but could they maintain this pressure and consistency against a team that will never surrender one single point without a fight?

When Thatdao uncharacteristically spiked wide from the left, T&T’s lead grew to six points and the Caribbean team appeared to have found their sparkle.

Trailing 23-22, Thailand suffered a major blow when Pimpichaya was carried off the court with a right knee injury before T&T won the third set 25-23 with a Ross block.

Thailand rediscovered their fizz in the fourth set behind the swirling serves of Kanthong Malika which caused chaos in the T&T reception. When the storm had settled, T&T trailed 13-6.

After Thailand had completed their victory, Pimpichaya was taken from the court in a wheelchair with her right knee heavily strapped.

Ronaldo, who now plays for Juventus in Italy’s Serie A, rejected the charges as “fake news” during a live chat on Instagram.

“What they said today, fake — fake news,” the 33-year-old star of the Portuguese national team said in a post that was later deleted.

Kathryn Mayorga, 34, of Las Vegas, accused Ronaldo, in a 32-page complaint filed last month with a district court in Nevada, of raping her on June 13, 2009.

Mayorga alleges in the lawsuit that she was pressured into signing a nondisclosure agreement to keep the alleged rape secret and is seeking no less than $200,000 in penalties and damages.

The complaint was first reported by the German magazine Der Spiegel. Lawyers for Ronaldo have reportedly threatened to sue the magazine over the story.

In the suit, Mayorga said she met Ronaldo, who was then 24 years old, on the evening of June 12, 2009 at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

It said she accepted an invitation to join Ronaldo and others in his penthouse suite to “enjoy the view of the Las Vegas strip.”

She was invited to join guests in a hot tub but she declined because she did not have a bathing suit, the complaint said.

Ronaldo offered her clothing and then followed her into a bathroom where she was going to change clothes, it said.

– ‘No, no, no’ –

After she refused his demand to perform oral sex and said she wanted to leave, Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and anally raped her while she screamed “no, no, no,” the complaint said.

“When Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault of the plaintiff, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman,” it said.

The lawsuit said Mayorga reported the alleged assault to the Las Vegas police the same day and underwent an examination at a local hospital.

It said the assault had left her with “severe emotional and bodily injuries including but not limited to anal contusions, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression.”

It said she developed an alcohol problem and was suicidal.

Under pressure from Ronaldo’s “fixers,” Mayorga settled the case “in exchange for a payment of $375,000 and non-disclosure of the sexual assault,” the lawsuit said.

It claimed the agreement should be voided because she was “incompetent and lacked the mental capacity to participate in negotiations and settlement of her claims due to the injuries suffered during the initial sexual assault.”

The suit also called for the agreement to be dismissed because it amounted to concealment of a crime for which there is no statute of limitations.

The unidentified “fixers” were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit, which also accuses the Juventus forward of violating the 2010 nondisclosure agreement.

In an interview with Der Spiegel, Mayorga, who has a degree in journalism from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said she was inspired to come forward in part by the #MeToo movement which has exposed the sexual abuse of women by powerful men.

Ronaldo is a five-time winner of FIFA’s men’s player of the year award.

The Portuguese striker, who is married and the father of four, left Real Madrid this year to join Juventus for 100 million euros ($117 million).

Ronaldo won two La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns with Real after joining from Manchester United in 2009 for a then world-record fee of £80 million ($94 million).

His opponent, however, is talking a good fight, vowing he has come to Thailand to “crash this party”.

The 31-year-old Srisaket will defend his crown in front of a home fans for the first time as the highlight of the 14 matches on the bill in Nonthaburi this weekend.

He beat Roman Gonzalez of Nicaragua twice in the US last year – to take and defend the title – and retained his belt earlier this year with a win over Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico.

“After a gruelling training camp, one of my toughest yet, I am in tremendous shape and I’m ready to defend my title this Saturday night,” Srisaket said on Monday.

“Performing in front of all my fans here and in front of all the Thai people, it is both an honour and a privilege for me. I will do everything in my power to keep the belt and defeat a worthy opponent in Iran Diaz. I know he’s ready too, and I am prepared for whatever he brings to the table,” added Srisaket, who holds a professional record of 46-4-1 with 41 knockouts.

“Right now, the time for talk is over. It’s time to lace up the gloves and prove ourselves inside the ring,” added Srisaket, who sent Young Gil Bae of South Korea to the floor since round one in a warm-up fight at Workpoint Studio in July.

The 28-year-old Diaz holds a professional record of 14-2-3, with 6 knockouts to his name. His most notable victories have come over dangerous former World Champions Hernan “Tyson” Marquez and Luis Concepcion.

“I have never trained harder for any fight. I know that he is a very powerful and aggressive puncher but I am confident in the strategy me and my team have come up with.

“He’s a superhero in Thailand, but I’m going to crash this party and take the title here on his home soil.”

One chairman Chatri Sityodtong meanwhile launched the One Super App for fans around the globe to access One’s live events and digital content library for free.

One also announced a strategic partnership with AIS Play where fans can follow coverage of One events online.

Reigning British Open champion Molinari defeated five-time major winner Phil Mickelson 4 and 2 as Europe took an insurmountable edge over the favoured Americans, including point-less flop Tiger Woods, in the biennial team showdown at Le Golf National.

“It was amazing,” Molinari said. “It’s an incredible achievement. We did just an amazing job.”

In the process, Molinari — who had been winless in six prior Ryder Cup matches — became the first European and only the fourth player ever to go 5-for-5 in a Ryder Cup and did so just two months after hoisting the Claret Jug.

“It feels great but it’s not about me,” he said. “It was about time to have them but it’s about the group not the individual.

“I couldn’t even dream of a summer like this.”

Europe had seized a 10-6 edge in Saturday’s foursomes and fourballs matches and got the points they needed to swipe the trophy after an early US surge. Every European player won at least once in the event.

“The attitude they had was unbelievable,” Europe captain Thomas Bjorn said. “There was a moment when I thought this was going a little bit wrong but when we got our momentum going it went very quickly.”

It turned out to be the most lopsided European triumph since an 18.5-9.5 victory at Ireland’s K Club in 2006.

The US team, needing a record-tying comeback to keep the Cup, found no French magic to equal Europe’s 2012 ‘Miracle at Medinah’ or the Americans’ 1999 ‘Battle of Brookline’ win.

“Their captain did a better job than I did,” US captain Jim Furyk said. “Their players played better. We just have to tip our caps.”

Woods, a 14-time major champion who snapped a five-year win drought last Sunday, went 0-4 after being hailed as the star attraction.

“Very disappointing,” Woods said. “To have a Ryder Cup end that way, for me personally, it doesn’t feel very good because I didn’t help my teammates earn any points.”

Woods noted his run of playing seven of nine weeks coming into France, saying: “A lot of big events and a lot of focus, a lot of energy, goes into it.”

The Americans, who haven’t won in Europe since 1993, lead the all-time rivalry 26-14 with two drawn but the Europeans’ ninth victory in 12 attempts gave them an 11-8 with one drawn edge since expansion from a British-Irish squad after 1977.

Americans pulled within 10.5-9.5 before Europe’s first singles victory by Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen, who beat three-time major winner Jordan Spieth 5 and 4.

Spain’s Jon Rahm followed by downing Woods 2 and 1, snuffing out any US momentum.

– ‘Best feeling of my life’ –

Rahm, who led after all but one hole, pumped his fists and screamed with joy after his clinching four-foot birdie putt left Europe two wins from victory.

“To beat Tiger, one of the greatest players of all time, for the pivotal point, it’s the best feeling of my life,” Rahm said.

England’s Ian Poulter birdied the 18th hole to beat top-ranked Dustin Johnson 2-up and put Europe on the brink.

That set the stage for Molinari to clinch the win, making his 5-for-5 history after Mickelson found water at 16 and conceded, setting off a champagne-spraying celebration.

Only Americans Larry Nelson in 1979 and Arnold Palmer and Gardner Dickinson in 1967 had gone 5-for-5 in 41 prior Ryder Cups.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia, last year’s Masters champion who has struggled for the past six months, also made history, beating Rickie Fowler 2 and 1 to reach 25.5 career Ryder Cup points, breaking Nick Faldo’s old mark of 25.

“It’s something that I never thought I would have the possibility of doing it,” Garcia said. “And now that it has happened, I’m just so happy.”

American took three early wins, with Rory McIlroy finding the same bunker twice and water thereafter to lose the 18th hole and his match 1-up to US rookie Justin Thomas.

Webb Simpson beat Justin Rose 3 and 2 and US rookie Tony Finau ripped Tommy Fleetwood apart 6 and 4, ending the Englishman’s bid to match Molinari’s 5-for-5 feat, while third-ranked Brooks Koepka halved with England’s Paul Casey.

The 21-year-old from Murcia, riding a Kawasaki, fought her way up from 25th on the grid to finish 13th at the season decider on the French circuit of Magny-Cours.

Carrasco finished the season with a one-point lead over compatriot Mika Perez.

“It’s unbelievable for me to achieve this,” said the former law student.

“We worked so hard to be here. I did not know I had won on the slowdown lap. I tried to see some TVs to check but I did not see any. I only realised when I got to turn five and I asked the spectators if I was first.”

Carrasco dedicated her win to Luis Salom, a fellow Spanish rider who was killed in an accident at the Catalunya circuit in 2016 at the age of 24.

“The day we lost him I promised to dedicate my first title to him. At the moment I am happy because we have achieved our goals, but I do not realise all of the things about being the first woman in history. I think after a few days I will be more conscious of this.”

Nita Korhonen, the director of the sport’s women in motorcycling commission, said Carrasco’s gender should not overshadow her achievement.

“This is absolutely great to have a woman winning an open circuit racing championship,” said Korhonen.

“Ana has shown that winning this kind of high level title has nothing to do with the gender but the talent.”