Shopping spree

Beckham snaps up Thai Buddhist shrines

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- David Beckham halted his motorcade to buy six miniature Buddhist shrines from a roadside vendor on Monday, surprising police serving as escorts on the Thailand leg of his Asian promotional tour, a security official said.

He said Beckham's BMW stopped in central Thailand so the soccer idol could buy the "spirit houses," which are frequently placed outside residences for spirits believed to protect property in this predominantly Buddhist nation.

Beckham brought his hands together and bowed in a traditional Thai greeting known as a "wai" before perusing the shrines and ordering six of them to be sent back to Britain, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Beckham filmed an advertisement Monday for motor oil giant Castrol Oil, one of the sponsors of his current tour, at a beachside resort in the village of Paknampran, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Bangkok.

During the shoot at the Aleenta Resort, Beckham lounged in a hammock beside a swimming pool and later kicked a soccer ball with several young Thais, the official said. Dozens of police officers stood by to provide security for Beckham.

"I was very excited when my boss told me that I would be among the police officers providing security for David Beckham," said police Sgt. Naresh Jimpuk. "I am one of his fans, but never dreamed I could come this close to him."

He said he was "very impressed that the superstar seemed to be friendly with the kids."

After five hours of filming, Beckham and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria, were driven to the Chiva-Som Luxury Health Resort in the coastal town of Hua Hin, where they are staying.

Beckham, 28, and his wife arrived quietly in Bangkok late Sunday for a two-day visit during a promotional tour of Asia. Few fans turned out at Bangkok's airport as the arrival had been kept a secret.

Beckham was not scheduled to make more public appearances until Tuesday, when he travels to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is to fly to Vietnam for a few hours on Wednesday before returning to Bangkok, where he has more promotional events scheduled to wrap up his tour.

Japanese media have reported that Beckham is receiving as much as 2 billion yen (US$17 million) for his tour of Asia.

Last week, Beckham agreed to a US$41.3 million transfer to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, where he will receive an estimated annual salary of US$7.08 million plus bonuses.

Malaysia gears up for FA Premier League Asia Cup

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's national soccer squad, comprising some of the youngest players in the team's history, is training hard to prove its mettle against British soccer stars in next month's FA Premier League Asia Cup, an official said Monday.

The four-team tournament, to be played in Kuala Lumpur on July 24-27, will be the first soccer tournament outside Britain sanctioned by the English Football Association Premier League.

The FA Premier League says the event is meant to help the three participating English teams -- Newcastle, Chelsea and Birmingham -- prepare for the 2003-2004 season and give Asians a chance to see their favorite players in action.

Malaysian assistant coach B. Sathianathan expressed hope that the competition would "do wonders for the confidence" of his team, which comprises mostly young players with the average age of about 22 years.

"There's nothing that contributes to their maturity and confidence level like playing against English Premier League teams they watch on television," Sathianathan said in a statement.

Sathianathan said Malaysia would use the event to "bring players to a peak" for the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in December and the final rounds of Asia's Olympics qualifying tournament in March next year.

The FA Premier League Asia Cup's opening match pits Birmingham against Newcastle on July 24. Chelsea will challenge Malaysia the following day.

The winners of both matches will qualify for the finals, while the two other teams face each other in a third-place playoff.

 

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