Thai soccer boss out over beer

Thai soccer boss out over beer

CHIANG MAI, Thailand (AFP): The "beer war" at the 18th
Southeast Asian Games cost the Thai soccer boss his job -- for
one day.

Team manager Thawatchai Sajjakul and some of his reserve
players were seen wearing warm-up suits at their match Sunday
that were made by the Umbro company and which bore the name
"Singha," a popular Thai beer.

That angered two of the games' biggest sponsors, Carlsberg,
the European beer giant, and Football Thai (FBT), makers of the
official sportswear for the nine-day contest, the official games
newspaper Sawasdee reported.

Both sponsors accused Thawatchai of breach of contract and
threatened to pull out of the games, which would have cost the
organizers a couple million dollars in fees.

Thai chief of mission Charouck Arirachakaran fired Thawatchai
on Monday.

On Tuesday, Thawatchai submitted a written apology to the
representatives of Carlsberg and FBT at a meeting with officials
of the Thai Olympic Committee and the Football Association of
Thailand. The two sponsors then withdrew their complaint and
Thawatchai was reinstated.