Arvuth was the only swimmer selected by TASA to undergo special training in the US as the Thai top sprinter had good results at the Manila SEA Games in 2005.

"He did well at the 2005 SEA Games by setting a record of 22.98 seconds in the 50-metres freestyle and I believe he can reach the top three in the Asian Games," the deputy secretary-general of TASA, Maj Gen Pichit Boonyatikarn, told The Nation.

"We can afford to send only one swimmer since it costs more than Bt100,000 per month at Berkley University to train. Many good sprinters train there," said the deputy secretary-general of TASA. The six months of overseas training should help Arvuth lower his times before the Doha Games.

TASA has also reached an agreement to hire two foreign coaches to train the Thai team for the games and to help the Thai coaches map out some new strategies.

"Due to the expensive salaries we need to pay, we will have the coaches instruct both the swimmers and Thai coaches," he said.

The two coaches are Dennis Cotterell, an Australian team staff coach, and Bill Sweetenham, an Australian who has been coaching in England and who coached in Thailand in the early '90s.

Sweetenham, a big burley man, has helped train some of the world's best swimmers in his long career, particularly in Australia where he helped the Aussie Olympic teams in the '80s almost overshadow the powerful Americans.

Alitta Tangrungruengkit

The Nation