A top Thai virologist has linked the “tomato flu” to the same virus that causes hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Dr Yong Poovorawan said tomato flu was identified in India’s Kerala state on May 6 when it infected nearly 100 children aged under five. The virus was also detected in the states of Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
The flu’s name was derived from the red water blisters patients develop. Symptoms are similar to ordinary flu with fever and body aches before the red blisters break out. The flu is not life-threatening and resolves on its own over time.
Yong suspects the symptoms are similar to Chikungunya virus, dengue fever and HFMD.
He said it will not be tough to investigate this disease because it has already been identified and it is known that the outbreak started in India. However, he said, the virus has not been officially announced yet.
Yong said reports in Indian newspapers indicate that “tomato flu” comes from the Coxsackievirus, which also causes HFMD.
In his post, Dr Yong also provided photographs comparing the rashes caused by tomato flu and those caused by the Coxsackie A6 virus that was detected in Thailand in 2012 and this year.
He added that he does not believe tomato flu comes from Enterovirus A71 as the symptoms were not severe. Also, when compared to the Chikungunya virus, he said small children did not suffer too much from joint pains, unlike older patients.
Six players struck their poses for the photocall ahead of their participation in the 7th Bt2.5 million SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking which runs between August 31 and September 2 at Kabin Buri Sport Club in Prachinburi.
Last circuit’s top 20 finishers Cholcheva Wongras and Pinkaew Trachuengtong, Kornkamol Sukaree from Bangkok, Kanyanat Saithip from Nakhon Ratchasima, Pimchanok Kawil from Chiang Mai and Pannapa Polnamin from Udon Thani took part in the photo shoot at the par 72 6,438-yard course which was designed by Japanese Yoshikazu Kato.
The landscape which is ranked as the 10th longest in Thailand with a total distance of 8,705 yards features the signature hole 13, also known as “The Crocodile Hole” as it was designed to have a pond in between the tee and the green.
The 7th SAT-TWT Open features a high quality field of players led by red-hot Patcharajutar Kongkraphan who won four straight events (two on the Thai WPGA Tour) between July and August, sixth circuit champion Supamas Sangchan, former LPGA players Budsbakorn Sukapan and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong who just finished lone third on the Thailand Mixed on Sunday, and Filipina Princess Superal who just celebrated her biggest career win in the Simone Asia Pacific Golf event in Indonesia two weeks ago. All will vie for the winner’s cheque of Bt367,500.
The 7th SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking event will be competed in a three-day stroke-play format with a total of 54 holes (18 holes each day). Top 60 and ties, after 36 holes, will move to compete in the final round. The winner will receive the top prize money of Bt367,500.
The SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking is sponsored by the Sports Authority of Thailand, National Sports Development Fund, Siam Commercial Bank, P Overseas Steal (Public Company Limited) and Kabin Buri Sport Club in Prachinburi.
Three Thai Women’s Professional Golf Association (Thai WPGA) members have been awarded slots into the KLPGA Tour’s Edaily Ladies Open which is due at Sunning Point Country Club in South Korea between September 2-4.
Sasikarn Somboonsap, Chayanit Wangmahaporn and Alisara Wedchankama are upbeat about their chance participate in the 700 million-won tournament at the gigantic par 72 6,748 course in Gyeonggi.
“I’m overwhelmed to be given this opportunity to compete in the Edaily Ladies Open which is a big event on the KLPGA Tour. I hope to bring my A game going into competition. I will try to focus on my iron as I’ve heard that the course is big and try to shape up my chipping and putts. However, I will stick to my game plan and stay out of pressure,” said the 24-year-old Sasikarn in her first offshore event as a professional player.
Likewise, 24-year-old Chayanit, 24 from Rayong, will have to concentrate on her iron to get ready for the monstrous layout.
“You need to hit far at the course. That’s why I’m going to work on my iron in particular next week,” said Chayanit who used to play on the Dream Tour, a second tier tour in South Korea.
“I learned a lot during my play on the tour (Dream Tour) last year. I got a lot of experience from fellow players. This will be my first time playing on the big tour there,” she said.
Alisa is thrilled to receive this once-in-a life time opportunity and is ready to take up a hilly challenge at Sunning Point.
“I’ve heard that it’s a mountainous course, so I will have to hit lobs as I normally strike the ball pretty flat. You need to hit big on a course like this and have good approach shots. However, I will try to have fun out there and not get too uptight,” she added.
Japan’s national team used football manga to promote its new kits for the 2022 World Cup to be held in Qatar from November 20 to December 18 with 32 teams in the fray.
Kit supplier Adidas released new kits for the World Cup for six teams — Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Germany, Spain, and Japan.
The home jersey of two-time World Cup winners Argentina is designed with their usual light blue and white stripes while the away jersey has a unique purple colour, and was presented by Argentinian stars Lionel Messi and Paulo Dybala.
Spain get their usual red jersey while Germany’s kit combines a white base with a vertical black and metallic gold panel at the centre on the front.
Most interestingly, Japan’s kit was promoted by two Japanese football manga — Blue Lock and Giant Killing.
The jersey incorporates the concept of “Origami”, the Japanese art of folding paper, as a symbol of praying for happiness. The concept was inspired by Japanese celebrations when it folded 2.7 million origami cranes after their successful bid to host the 2002 World Cup.
The concept reflects the folding of a paper several times, symbolising ups and downs, such as its agony in Doha when Japan failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and the current golden era when they have consistently qualified for the World Cup.
The team hopes to make history at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, a venue where they had faced disappointment in the past.
TV star and mixed martial arts icon Chatri Sityodtong is going back to his Muay Thai roots after being named as a promoter at Bangkok’s famed Lumpinee Stadium.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Chatri, founder and chairman of MMA’s Singapore-based ONE Championship, said he had formally accepted an invitation from the Royal Thai Army to put on fight nights at the stadium.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Chatri, founder and chairman of MMA’s Singapore-based ONE Championship, said he had formally accepted an invitation from the Royal Thai Army to put on fight nights at the stadium.
“Lumpinee Stadium has long been the highest pinnacle of Muay Thai, representing the best of the best champions ever since the beginning,” Chatri said.
Lumpinee, which opened as Thailand’s second stadium in 1956, is run by the Army. In 2014 it relocated from its site overlooking Lumpini Park to a 5,000-seat venue on Ram Intra Road. Lumpinee has seen the birth of Muay Thai legends such as Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn but began hosting MMA events in January this year.
Chatri thanked Army chief Narongpan Jitkaewtha, stadium director Gen Suchart Dangprapai and deputy directors Gen Ronawud Ruengsawat and Gen Vasan Phungsampao, for the opportunity to serve his country and elevate the beautiful art of Muay Thai.
He said he hoped to work with athletes, gym owners, and promoters in Thailand’s Muay Thai scene and around the world to build a prosperous future for the combat sport.
Chatri also scheduled a September 12 press conference to unveil his Lumpinee promotion.
One Championship star Panpayak Jitmuangnon scored an incredible victory this past weekend to earn his place in the One flyweight Muay Thai world grand prix championship final.
The Thai star filled in as a late replacement for Rodtang Jitmuangnon in his semifinal bout against Savvas Michael at One Fight Night 1: Moraes v Johnson II, on Saturday, 27 August, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and came away victorious thanks to a second-round knockout.
He is now slated to compete for the tournament’s coveted silver belt against old foe Superlek Kiatmoo9 sometime before the end of the year.
The #3-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender attacked Michael right from the opening bell and kept up the pressure right to the end of the opening round. Then, just ten seconds into the second frame, he scored a highlight-reel finish over the Cypriot star with a blistering right hook followed by a devastating left kick to the head.
The win punched his ticket to the tournament final and earned him a US$50,000 bonus from One Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Following the bout, “The Angel Warrior,” who was originally scheduled to fight Sherzod Kabutov in a grand prix alternate bout on the One Fight Night 1 lead card, thanked flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang for indirectly giving him the opportunity to compete in the tourney.
“I would like to say a big thank you to Rodtang. It was an accident for me to move up to compete against Savvas. This is one of the biggest opportunities in my life. It is such a big opportunity for me to be on this fight card and to win this tournament,” Panpayak said.
Early in the evening, top-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Superlek scored a spectacular finish of his own when he took on #5-ranked contender Walter Goncalves in the other semifinal clash. It took just 95 seconds for the Thai to finish his Brazilian foe with a perfectly placed elbow.
“The Angel Warrior” will face Superlek for the second time inside the Circle and the eighth time overall, with Panpayak holding a four-win advantage over “The Kicking Machine.”
Speaking on his future showdown against his compatriot, the seven-time Muay Thai world champion made it clear that it will be a competitive affair.
“A Thai athlete versus a Thai athlete [bout] it is hard to find a chance for a knockout. I will have to find the chance. Of course, I will [try to finish by knockout],” Panpayak said.
“I feel glad to compete with him again. I lost the last fight with him. I told the public that I wanted revenge in the future. The time has come in the grand prix.”
In the meantime, download the One Super App to catch all the action at One 161: Petchmorakot v Tawanchai on Thursday, 29 September, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn tripped at the final hurdle, losing in straight games to Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen on Sunday in the men’s singles of the World Badminton Championships in Tokyo.
World No. 1 Axelsen won his second world title, beating the Thai 21-5, 21-16 in a one-sided final.
The 21-year-old Kunlavut, a three-time junior world champion and ranked world No. 17, had raised hopes of becoming the first Thai to win the men’s title after toppling Singapore’s defending world champion Loh Kean Yew in the quarter-finals.
Axelsen’s previous world title had come in Glasgow in 2017.
The 28-year-old Dane, the Olympic gold medallist, did not drop a game throughout the tournament.
Two-time champion Patcharajutar Kongkraphan will be among the strong contenders in the 7th Bt2.5 million SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking which runs between August 31 and September 2 at Kabin Buri Sport Club in Prachinburi.
The former top 80 player in the world will return to home circuits after winning four local tournaments in a row between July and August. Two occurred in the 4th and 5th circuits of the SAT-TWT Open at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course and Lake View Resort and Golf Club.
“I’ve spent a lot of time resting after playing week in week out. But I’m still having some light practice on my swing to remain confident about my putting,” said the 30-year-old who just came back from the Simone Asia Pacific Golf event in Indonesia.
“It felt like I was playing in the national team again. My confidence was still with me even I was playing an overseas tournament. That made me want to play offshore again,” added P.K. who is currently leading on the Thai WPGA Order of Merits standing.
Patcharajutar hopes she will carry on with her winning momentum into the par 72 6,438 yard Kabinburi Sport Club which is the seventh stop of the Thai WPGA Tour for the 2021-2022 season.
“You need to come up with accurate shots at this course. You cannot attack all the pin positions at this tricky course,” she said. This week’s field also features in-form players including two-time runner-up Arpichaya Yubol, former LPGA players Budsbakorn Sukapan and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong who just finished lone third on the Thailand Mixed on Sunday, Trichat Cheenglab, circuit 6 winner Supamas Sangchan and the up-and-coming Filipina Princess Superal.
Supamas sank in a finishing birdie to win the last circuit at Panorama Golf and Country Club in Nakhon Ratchasima which ended a three-year-drought of victory for her. In fact, she used to win a tournament at Kabin Buri three years ago.
“I have no pressure at all coming back to this course. I have been playing four straight tournaments, so I don’t want to be hard on myself as I have to save my body,” said Supamas from Sukhothai.
“This is a big course. I need to hit far with my 1-wood in order to have short approach shots,” she added.
Superal who just celebrated her biggest win in the Simone Asia Pacific Golf last week has been competing regularly in Thailand this year. She has posted three top 10 finishes on the Thai WPGA Tour with a tied second in the fifth circuit as her best finish.
“I decide to play in Thailand because there are more tournaments here than in the Philippines. I like the competition here as there are a lot of good Thai players. I like to challenge myself,” said Superal who admires the organization of the Thai WPGA.
“I like how they run the tournament. I like that they provide free food in the player’s lounge. That’s a big help for us,” said the 25-year-old player who gave credits to Thai tours which helps shape up her game.
“I won the Simone Asia Pacific Golf in Indonesia last week. One of the reasons why I won there is because I’ve played a lot of tournaments in Thailand. The competition really challenges me. It helps me improve my game,” she added.
The SAT-TWT Open Road to World Ranking is sponsored by the Sports Authority of Thailand, National Sports Development Fund, Siam Commercial Bank, P Overseas Steal (Public Company Limited) and the Panorama Golf and Country Club in Nakhon Ratchasima. Fans can catch up with news updates on ThaiWPGA Facebook Fanpage or at http://www.thaiwpga.com.
Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Brazil winger Antony from Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam, the BBC and Sky Sports reported on Sunday (August 28).
The deal is reported to be worth an initial 80.75 million pounds ($94.74 million), with a further 4.25 million in add-ons, the BBC said.
The 22-year-old is set to complete a medical within the next two days.
Antony joined Ajax in February 2020 from Brazilian Serie A side Sao Paulo, making more than 80 appearances for the Dutch side in all competitions and scoring 25 goals.
He made his Brazil debut in October 2021 in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying win over Venezuela.
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
