Siriporn Thaveesuk, a convicted drug dealer, now serving her sixth year in jail, startled the Thai boxing circles, which is used to queer and quaint name changes, with her bizarre choice of name.

"When I fought Japanese Nanako Kikuchi for the WBC minumum-weight title last May, I lost on points. There were two main factors for the loss - I was inexperienced and my name was feminine," Siriporn, who will turn 25 on April 26, explained.

 "This time, I am taking on another Japanese, Ayaka Miyano, in the WBC light-flyweight contest. She is a good fighter and has a solid punch. It will not be easy to match her. So I decided to change my name to Samson Sor Siriporn. I have heard a lot about Samson Krathingdaeng-Gym. He was just great in the ring. I think I will be as successful as him with the name change," said the pint-sized Siriporn.

All our failed female athletes might like to consider this easy route to success. Maria Tanasugarn for a change? - The Nation.

Losing the way in distant Tokyo

National Davis Cup player Weerapat Doakmaiklee lost his way and almost failed to make it to the practice court during a tournament in Tokyo. He had only himself to blame. The Thai No 3 player, who will replace Paradorn Srichaphan in the Davis Cup tie against Japan next month, thought he was going on the right way to the tennis court in Musashihikida district until the train he took led him to an unfamiliar destination.

"We thought we took the right line but we felt strange when it took longer than it should have. Only when the train stopped at the last station did the bell ring," said Weerapat, who is currently playing in a US$10,000 ITF event in Tokyo.

Weerapat had two other companions, Kirati Siributwong, a rising star, and their coach Ekkarin Pisuth-arnont. But the trio was so engaged in chatting that they failed to notice their whereabouts.

"We were talking some funny stuff and didn't look at the stations at all. Fortunately, I didn't have a match on that day, otherwise it would have been a disaster." - The Nation.

TV star learns the hard way

Sexy Charlie Webster is a big hit on the StarSports and ESPN channels. Ask any Premier League fan. They latch on to her every word on Saturday night on Club EPL as she quizzes the viewers with questions on football. The babe also has a weekly column in the sport pages of a Singapore newspaper.

Sports theory aside, her practical ability is virtually nil. Err, in golf, I mean.

She was there at the Laguna Phuket Golf Club for a charity event last weekend and tried her hand at golf. Her drives would never reach the fairways and she had great difficulty in putting the ball in the hole. It was no wonder that she became the butt of jokes at the dinner party. But Webster is not one to give up easily. She vowed that she would rather be a golfer than a sports commentator. - The Nation.

An act that went wrong

The clash between Tiew Pai Ngarm and Provincial Electricity Authority in the King's Cup Basketball Championships on Sunday attracted a huge crowd. It turned out to be a thriller and was worth going miles to see it.

With 8:52 left in the last quarter, Thongchai Tipprapai of Tiew Pai Ngarm pulled off a magnificent dunk, a rare sight in the Kingdom, and was promptly applauded by the fans.

A minute later, guard Chaiwat Kae-dam tried to emulate his team-mate but fell to the ground with a thud.

Chaiwat got up and walked out of the court while the game went on. Some of his team-mates tried asking him the reason but he kept walking in silence.

The national player then turned around and showed his bleeding right hand, which had a gash after hitting the basket.

It was too painful and he didn't have the words to say that he was looking for medical personnel. - The Nation.