The 15-year-old from Saraburi shot a final 71 for a total four under-par-212 to win the eighth and final leg of the Thai LPGA event after dominating the fourth to the seventh legs  in Hua Hin (Royal Club) in May, the 5th in Rayong in June, the sixth in Hua Hin (Black Mountain Golf Club) in July and the previous stop earlier this month in Khon Kaen.

“I’m happy to make it five in a row. But I wasn’t happy with the final round as I missed too many short putts,” said Arpichaya who won the winner’s prize money of Bt142,000.

Dussavi, 20, signed of with a 27 on 213 and earned Bt96,285.

Top 35 money leaders from all eight legs will be eligible to compete in the Bt4 million Thailand LPGA Masters due at the Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok between September 19-21.

Also called “Korean culture boxes,” mobile museums contain various traditional items from Korea and are being deployed in an effort to promote the nation’s traditional folk culture. Altogether, they will display 153 items representing 88 categories.

“Sarangbang” box (NFMK)

“Anbang” box (NFMK)

“Hanbok” box (NFMK)

After the games, the mobile museums will be presented at the Korean cultural centers in Brazil, Hungary and Vietnam. They will have a presence at the second Brazil Hallyu Expo, slated to kick off Sept. 15, as well as at a cultural festival scheduled Sept. 22 in Budapest.

The museum is also planning to send the mobile boxes to other festivals and international conferences abroad.

Each box follows one of four themes: “Sarangbang,” “Anbang,” “Hanbok” or “Annyeong.”

The “Sarangbang” box features items that would have been found in the room of a traditional scholar, such as writing brushes, an ink stick, a desk and a folding screen behind.

The “Anbang” box contains objects that would have been found in the women’s quarters, such as sewing tools, a mirror stand, a thread box, hair pins, embroidery and many others.

In the “Hanbok” box, visitors will find traditional garments and headdresses that they can try on. A multimedia box, called “Annyeong,” showcases Korea’s language and history.

 A draw with Bangladesh in their second prelimnary on Thursday was a nightmare for national coach Worrawoot Srimaka, who needed that win to guarantee four points and a spot into the round of 16.

With two straight draws, including a 1-1 tie in the opener with Qatar, Thailand are second in the group with two points behind the invincible eastern European team, who have so far spanked Bangladesh 3-0 and Qatar 6-0.

The Kingdom must win only to secure a spot as Qatar are likely to see off Bangladesh.

“I take the blame for making some wrong decisions in my selections. Some players were injured, so I had to make some changes but it didn’t work out.

“My sincere apologies for the result, which we did not expect. When we lost the first goal, we rushed things up and lost our momentum. Luckily we still managed to get a draw.

“Playing in tournaments brings pressure in every match. We should take our time and wait for the right opportunity to move forward. It’s a lesson learned.”

The Thai-Uzbekistan game kicks off at the Pakan Sari Stadium at 7pm on Sunday (Thailand and Indonesia time) and can be seen live on the Workpoint Channel.

“The target is to win three points. There’s no turning back. We still believe. I already have some game plan to tackle with Uzbekistan,” Worrawoot  added.

The Thai women are in the same situation as the men.

They must beat Vietnam to reach the knockout stage after losing their opener 2-0 to Japan. History is not on their side, however – Thailand have never beaten Vietnam at an Asiad.

A Herculean task awaits Thailand over the next fortnight if it to accomplish its goal of 17 gold medals at the Asian games in Indonesia.

The Sports Authority of Thailand and the Olympic Committee of Thailand share the same forecast of 17 golds, while 20 appears to be wishful thinking from the Sports Writers and Photographers Association of Thailand.

The standard of Thai sport has dropped in recent years; the latest evidence comes from last year’s SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, where Thai athletes returned home with just 72 golds, a significant drop from Singapore 2015 (95) and Myanmar 2013 (108).

In terms of the Asiad specifically, since winning its record number of 24 golds at Bangkok 1998, Thailand have gradually stepped backwards, taking home 14, 13 and 11 golds from the 2002, 2004 and 2010 games, before a slight rebound with 12 at Incheon 2014.

An estimated Bt137.9 million has been spent to send 830 athletes to Indonesia, where 426 gold medals will be for grabs between August 18 and September 2.

Of the gold medal prospects this year, the sepak takraw team still has the highest potential – Thailand have never failed to win a gold medal in all eight events they participated in, four each in 2010 and 2014.

Thailand have again entered players in four events: the men’s and women’s regu teams, both of which they travel as defending champions, plus the men’s team doubles and women’s quadrant.

Takraw Association of Thailand president Charouck Arirachakaran is brimming with confidence that his team will complete a clean sweep of four golds for the third Asiad running.

Weightlifting also carries high hopes for Thailand, with 2014 Olympic gold medallists Sopita Tanasan and Sukunya Srisurat expected to reign supreme in the women’s 53kg and 58kg divisisions respectively.

While fortunes have declined in several sports, the Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association has never let the country down at major events. More surprise gold medals may come from this sport as the powerhouse China are still serving a one-year ban for doping infringements.

Panipak Wongpattanakit 

The country’s taekwondo queen, Panipak Wongpattanakit, is another strong contender for gold, in the women’s 49 category. The 21-year-old, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, has been in incredible form, winning eight titles last year – three at Grand Prix level – and won the Jordan Open just last month.

Golf should also yield a golden return for Thailand due to the emergence of outstanding young talent, none more so than teen prodigy Atthaya Thitikul.

The girl who set a world record as the youngest winner of a Ladies European Tour title aged just 14 last year is now, at the ripe old age of 15, widely favoured to lead the women’s team in a successful defence of its gold from 2014.

Boxing, sailing and the martial arts are other areas in which Thailand should celebrate Asiad champions.

Charouck, who doubles as secretary-general of the Olympic Committee of Thailand, reckons that in order to reach the group’s lofty gold-medal target, it will be necessary for Thailand to excell in the martial arts. More than 80 gold medals are on offer in that area alone, in jujitsu, karatedo, kurash, judo, pencat silat and wushu.

Thai women’s badminton team before their depature for Indonesia.

Even badminton, in which Thailand can claim to be fielding a former world No 1, offers slim hopes of a medal haul. Ratchanok Intanon, now world No 4, is an outsider in the women’s singles, as are the mixed doubles pairing of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, and Rawinda Prachongjai and Jongkolphan Kititharakul in the women’s doubles. Japan and China are expected to dominate.

On the downside three sports – tennis, bowling and cycling – which contributed four golds from 2014 are unlikely to repeat the same feat.

Thai tennis is in a slump, while the cyclists and bowlers have been struggling due to the high level of competition in the region.

Jakarta’s toxic skies have been stuck at unhealthy levels for weeks despite drastic efforts to cut down on congestion, including an odd-even licence plate system and the closure of some schools and toll roads.

The city’s air-quality index reading hovered around 107 on Friday, posing a danger for people sensitive to air pollution including those with respiratory problems.

But the index has regularly topped 150 this month, which is considered a health threat to the general population. A reading over 300 is seen as hazardous.

About 16,000 athletes and officials from 45 Asian countries — along with hordes of sports-crazy tourists — are flocking to Jakarta and co-host city Palembang for the showpiece event, which kicks off Saturday.

Athletes competing indoors will be relatively unaffected, but it’s a different story for outside sports like athletics, archery, baseball, softball and rugby, said Budi Haryanto, an air pollution and health expert at the University of Indonesia.

Competing in an environment with dirty air limits athletes’ ability to perform at their best, he added, with Jakarta’s average 31 degree Celsius temperatures already threatening to leave competitors drenched in sweat.

It’s a worry for racewalker Hendro Yap, 17, who hails from Indonesia’s cultural capital Yogyakarta where the climate is cooler and less polluted.

Yap, who broke the Southeast Asian Games record last year in Kuala Lumpur for 20-kilometre race walking, said he finds competing in Jakarta a challenge.

“For (people) who are used to running in Jakarta… it might be slightly easier,” he told AFP.

“But it’s still very hard. You sweat more. And in Jakarta it’s so polluted… that it’s hard to perform.”

Tackling Jakarta’s foul air is no easy task.

There are some 18 million cars plying the roads of the sprawling city of 10 million — and the number of vehicles is going up every year.

The majority of Jakarta’s air pollution is due to vehicle emissions.

Environmental experts say there is little hope for clean skies during the two-week tournament.

“It’s hard to find a solution because the key lies in regulating emissions,” said Hindun Mulaika, climate and energy manager at Greenpeace Indonesia.

“The government still thinks this is purely a transport problem.”

Meanwhile, annual forest fires in Sumatra are threatening to envelop the sleepy city of Palembang in a different kind of toxic cloud.

Other countries have faced similar air pollution challenges including Beijing when it was set to host the Olympics in 2008.

The Chinese capital took successful, drastic measures including temporarily closing factories to clean up its skyline.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was stunned 6-1, 6-0 by Britain’s Johanna Konta on July 31 in San Jose, California.

The defeat marked the first time in 928 professional matches that Williams failed to win more than one game. At the time she spoke of having “so many things on my mind” without elaborating.

But in a wide-ranging interview with Time, she said that 10 minutes before she took the court she learned via Instagram that Robert Edward Maxfield, the man convicted of killing Price in a drive-by shooting in 2003, had been released from prison earlier in the year after serving 12 years of a 15-year sentence.

“I couldn’t shake it out of my mind,” she said. “No matter what, my sister is not coming back for good behavior. It’s unfair that she’ll never have an opportunity to hug me.”

In discussing Maxfield, Williams noted biblical passages on forgiveness, but admitted “I’m not there yet.”

“I want to forgive,” she said. “I have to get there. I’ll be there.”

Price had three children who were aged 11, nine and five when she died.

“It was hard because all I think about is her kids, and what they mean to me. And how much I love them,” Williams said.

World number one Halep took advantage of a morning respite from the rain to finish off a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Ajla Tomljanovic.

Halep, clearly frustrated when rain halted the match at 3-3 in the third on Wednesday night, won three straight games to finish off the victory in 10 minutes.

The timing was perfect for French Open champion Halep, as drizzle resumed moments after her contest ended.

Argentina’s world number three del Potro had played just six points in the first game of his postponed second-round match against Chung Hyeon before the rain came again.

But the weather cleared, allowing officials to get eight courts into action, and del Potro returned to finish off a 6-2, 6-3 win over the South Korean and set up a night meeting with Australian Nick Kyrgios for a place in the quarter-finals.

With the weather holding, organizers hoped to have the tournament on schedule by the end of the day, with matches featuring Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic still to come.

In third-round action, US Open finalist Madison Keys, the 13th seed, rallied to defeat fourth-seeded Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.

Keys fired 55 winners with 44 unforced errors against the German, who is playing her first hardcourt tournament in the buildup to the US Open.

“I had to keep it cool, she gets lot of balls back,” Keys said. “I used my forehand and serve well today. I’m really happy and I’m looking to go further.”

Petra Kvitova, a Cincinnati semi-finalist in 2012, reached the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2 win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic.

Milos Raonic reached the men’s quarter-finals with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 victory over fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov, avenging a loss to his younger compatriot in Madrid three months ago.

Failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League provoked big changes at both clubs.

But while Chelsea are used to the upheaval of coaches coming and going under Roman Abramovich, Arsenal are still settling into Emery’s new era after 22 years with Arsene Wenger in charge.

The early signs suggest it will take Emery time to stem years of decline towards the end of Wenger’s reign.

However, the Spaniard had the misfortune to face champions Manchester City on his Premier League debut as Arsenal were outclassed in a 2-0 defeat on home soil last weekend.

Sarri has also insisted it will take at least two months to implement the free-flowing attacking style that made him a coach in demand at Napoli.

But, despite a disrupted pre-season due to his late arrival at Stamford Bridge to replace Antonio Conte, the departure of Thibaut Courtois and speculation over a host of other key players, Chelsea were too good for Huddersfield in an opening day 3-0 win.

There were already clear hallmarks of Sarri’s influence as Jorginho, who followed his boss from Napoli to Chelsea in the summer, controlled the midfield.

Chelsea are likely to be even stronger this weekend as Eden Hazard could return to the starting line-up after he shone in a 15-minute cameo at Huddersfield following his World Cup exertions with Belgium.

Conte won just one of eight meetings with Arsenal in two seasons in charge. A quick reversal of fortunes this weekend would suggest Sarri is headed in the right direction.

Spurs’ home from home

After failing to sign a single player in the transfer window, Tottenham’s poor month off the field continued with the news this week that the club’s new stadium won’t be ready until at least October.

That means Mauricio Pochettino’s men will play their first three home games of the season at Wembley, starting with the visit of Fulham on Saturday.

Pochettino has vowed to deliver wins for fans frustrated by the delay.

And more fixtures at the home of English football might not be a handicap on Spurs’ ambitions. After failing to win any of their first three home games last season, Tottenham won 13 of the next 16 Premier League games at Wembley once they adjusted to their new surroundings.

Time for City’s squad to shine

City’s victory at Arsenal without ever hitting top gear last weekend was ominous for the challengers trying to stop Pep Guardiola’s men becoming the first side in a decade to retain the title.

But City were dealt a huge blow when Kevin De Bruyne suffered a serious knee injury in training on Wednesday, expected to keep the Belgian sidelined for at least two months.

If any squad is equipped to deal without a world class talent like De Bruyne, it is probably the one at Guardiola’s disposal.

Bernardo Silva starred against Arsenal and Chelsea in the Community Shield from a more central role with new signing Riyad Mahrez starting on the right.

David Silva is yet to play a minute this season and 18-year-old Phil Foden has been tipped by Kyle Walker to take his chance in De Bruyne’s absence.

“We don’t just rely on one player. It’s a team game and whoever steps in will do well,” said Walker. “Obviously, it’s a big loss but we’ve got more than enough cover.”

Life without De Bruyne begins at home to Huddersfield on Sunday.

Fixtures (1400GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Cardiff v Newcastle (1130GMT), West Ham v Bournemouth, Tottenham v Fulham, Leicester v Wolves, Everton v Southampton, Chelsea v Arsenal (1630GMT)

Sunday

Manchester City v Huddersfield, Burnley v Watford (both 1230GMT), Brighton v Manchester United (1500GMT)

Monday

Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1900GMT)

Thailand’s campaign to reach the knock out stage of the Asian Games football competition ran into a wall after they were held 1-1 by unfancied Bangladesh in their Group B football competition at the Pakan Sari Stadium on Thursday.

Thailand entered the game with growing confidence after pushing 2006 winners Qatar to the limit in a 1-1 draw on Tuesday. They fully expected to get the job done last night but Bangladesh proved a tough nut to crack.

They even took a shock lead in the 52nd minute through striker Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and it was not until 10 minutes from time that Thailand levelled the tie, as the outstanding Supachai Chaided fired in a left-foot drive for his second goal in two games.  Progressing to the knockouts now appears to be a forlorn task for Thailand, three-time fourth-place finishers at the Asiad.

“When we expected too much, we ended up putting pressure on ourselves. We hurried too much and lost opportunities,” said national coach Worrawoot Srimaka.

Their goal had been to achieve four points from their first two matches in order to secure their last-16 berth even before meeting powerful Uzbekistan in their third and final group encounter.

The draw has left them needing to score an unlikely victory on Sunday.

“It’s good to be in this situation as we have to gor for three scores. There’s no turning back,” he added.

In the women’s football first preliminary round competition, Thailand lost to Japan 0-2 and will need to win their last match against Vietnam in order to proceed to the next round as second-placed finisher.

In women’s handball, Thailand displayed better teamwork and sharper skills as they outplayed hosts Indonesia 34-16 to register their first group B win after a first-up 41-16 loss to Japan on Tuesday.

The women’s team, which has finished seventh in three successive Games, will play their next match against Hong Kong on Sunday.

Later on Thursday, the women brought further good news for Thailand as the polo team, the reigning SEA Games champions, downed Hong Kong 19-6 in the six-team round-robin competition. They face Kazakhstan this afternoon in their second game.

Meanwhile Thai chef de mission Thana Chaiprasit revealed that volleyball star Pluemjit Thinkaow would carry the national flag leading the Thai delegation during the athletes’ Opening Ceremony parade on Saturday. The event is being broadcast live on the Workpoint Channel at 7pm.

National volleyball coach Danai Sriwatcharamethakul gave a nod for the middle blocker to participate in the ceremony despite having her being involved in a game against Indonesia the next day.

Pluemjit is the first female athlete to carry the national flag in 20 years, since the honour went to runner Rawadee Wattanasin in the 1998 Bangkok Games.

“I’m so honoured to be given this opportunity. It really means a lot to me because this will be my last Asian Games,” said the 34-year-old, who was part of the bronze medal team in the 2014 Games.

About 6,000 performers are expected to participate in the opening ceremony, which will be attended  by Deputy Prime Minister and Olympic Committee of Thailand president Prawit Wongsuwan and Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat.

Thana also said that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had urged the Games organising committee to finalise the competition programme after several changes had been made.

Thai chef de mission Thanachai Prasit presents a souvenir to an Indonesian official.

According to the Thai official the hosts were fully prepared in several aspects, bar some minor hiccups, including an unpunctual shuttle bus service and insufficient drinking water in some venues.

Evolve Fight Team, the official competition unit of the Singapore-based training facility Evolve MMA, houses the best and the brightest combat sports personalities such as Ben Askren, Angela Lee, Shinya Aoki, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Roger Gracie, Michelle Nicolini, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Rafael dos Anjos.

The aforementioned group made a blockbuster announcement on Friday, 10 August, revealing the addition of Petrosyan to its already-stacked cast.

When making a comparison between two highly successful people these days, often times basketball legend Michael Jordan is used as a metaphor for someone who is the best at his or her craft.

Whether it is a discussion about players on the basketball court or chefs in the kitchen, the phrase so and so is “the Michael Jordan” of blank has been a description used to explain greatness.

If there is someone who replicated the significance and success of a hard-court great like Jordan inside the kickboxing ring, it is Petrosyan.

The 32-year-old Italian’s name carries a special weight to kickboxing fans as for four years, Petrosyan was the undeniable pound-for-pound king of the sport.

Nicknamed “The Doctor” for his supreme technical skills, ring generalship and defensive prowess which has seen him defeat some of the best strikers in the world while taking little-to-no damage, Petrosyan has been lacing up the gloves since he was 16 years of age.

Over the course of a stellar kickboxing career, Petrosyan has amassed a phenomenal record of 88-2-2 (2 NC) and is famed for his six-year, 42-bout winning streak.

From 2009 to 2013, Petrosyan established himself as the world’s top middleweight with two consecutive K-1 World MAX World Championship tournament titles.

Following It’s Showtime and K-1’s demise, Petrosyan then joined Glory in 2012 and further cemented his place as the best 154-pound kickboxer by winning the Glory 2012 Lightweight Slam tourney.

Petrosyan made his much-awaited ONE Championship debut last April as part of the promotion’s ONE Super Series, which was created with the purpose of showcasing the purest forms of striking arts such as Muay Thai and kickboxing on the biggest and most prestigious platform of competition.

In his maiden assignment under the ONE Championship banner, he outworked former Lion Fight World Champion “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut of Thailand in three rounds to score a unanimous decision victory.

Petrosyan, who recently notched another dominant win in a different kickboxing league this past July, is scheduled to make his return to the ONE Championship stage later this year.