From Gardener To Groundsman To The World Stage

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug. 15, 2012 - Pirom Chinkham, a groundsman at the Traidhos Three-Generation cricket field in Mae Rim, Thailand,  has been selected to be a part of the team preparing and caring for the grounds to be used for the 2012 Cricket 20 – 20 World Cup in Sri Lanka beginning on 20 September 2012.  The distinction includes not only learning, working and collaborating under the best grounds staff in the world, but opens the door for Pirom to see cricket at its finest and to witness the passion that people have for cricket when it is played in a world-class arena.  Pirom will leave Northern Thailand on 13 September and his skilled services will be used for almost three weeks before, during and after the competition.

This great honour comes to a man of humble beginnings.  

Before the cricket ground was developed on the Traidhos Community campus (http://cricket.threegeneration.org) in 2005, two professional staff were employed as cricket groundsmen, but their appointment was not confirmed.  Pirom was then randomly selected from the Traidhos gardening department to be transferred to the cricket grounds under the tutelage of Three-Generation Cricket Academy Director, David Buck.  With David’s Level 1 groundsman’s qualification from England and the help of six workers from Myanmar, the makeshift team slowly and steadily built the ground that today is known as the Three-Generation Oval.

Over the subsequent ten months, and without any professional cricket grounds machinery, the ground was developed by hand - one blade of grass at a time. Grass for the ten-strip turf wicket was imported from Perth, Western Australia, so there is forever a corner of Thailand that is linked to the famous WACA.  This was probably first time in cricket history that a ground has been built using traditional Thai "paddy field" techniques.  Under David’s and Pirom’s supervision, the ground was ready for host its first cricket tournament on 14 December 2006 – an Asian cricket tournament which played to fantastic reviews.

Over the coming years, the ground established a reputation as being one of the finest grounds in Asia - and certainly the best cricket field in Thailand.  Pirom has earned his credibility through diligence and hard work and is now regarded amongst players and coaches as the best groundsman in Thailand.

Pirom’s achievements and the recognition he has gained in the world of Asian cricket is well-deserved for his outstanding contribution to Traidhos and the promotion of cricket in Thailand.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11950942/1