Members of the Cambodian Vovinam team compete in an event at the 32nd SEA Games, hosted by Cambodia in May last year. Hong Menea
With the wisdom he learned through his own struggle to become one of Cambodia’s first post-war athletes to rise to the top of the sporting world, Vath Chamroeun understands the value sport can play in bringing hope to a nation.
Having led national athletes and brought glory to the nation in various regional sporting events, Chamroeun now dreams of seeing Cambodia’s first Olympic medal being claimed by a female athlete.
A member of Cambodia’s five-person sporting delegation to the 1996 Olympic Games – the first since 1970 – Chamroeun’s achievements in the sport of wrestling have seen him go on to dedicate himself to lifting the Kingdom’s sporting prowess to new heights.
After years as secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), he was one of the proudest Cambodians to witness the brilliant success of the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2023, hosted by the Kingdom for the first time.
As the secretary-general in charge of technical matters, Chamroeun shares his pride at a surprising trend. The Kingdom’s women athletes have brought more success to the country than their male counterparts.
Females take lead
“Our sportswomen have won more gold medals than our men. At the 2023 SEA Games, Cambodia claimed 81 gold, 74 silver and 127 bronze, a total of 282 medals. Our sportswomen earned more than half of them, demonstrating their prominence,” he says.
Chamroeun notes population statistics, saying women account for 53 per cent of the population.
“After identifying this statistic, we have encouraged more and more women to play sports. In addition, they have a greater opportunity to win medals for the nation, as there are typically more male competitors,” he says.
“For example, in the 55kg wrestling weight class, 20 to 30 men took part, while there were only four or five female entrants. This meant they had a better shot at competing for medals,” he adds.
Having seen the potential of women in sports, the NOCC, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the National Sport Federation have launched several sports campaigns in Cambodia to mobilise the next generation of young women, in the hope that attracting more women will allow the sporting bodies to identify talented athletes and develop them into world-class contenders, as well as to promote public health.
On this year’s March 8 International Women’s Day, Olympic committee cooperated with the private sector to organise the “Women’s Run 10k” event, which began in front of Phnom Penh’s Wat Botum Park. About 2,500 women registered to run the race, designed to encourage women to participate in sports.
At the same time, many major international sporting bodies are also working to attract more and more women, as the number of professional female athletes remains small in almost all codes.
“We believe that women’s participation in sports represents an opportunity to find success in life. In accordance with international principles, we are aiming to raise the level of women taking part to at least 40 per cent, including at the elite level,” explains Chamroeun.
“Therefore, we need to encourage more women to get involved. The larger the numbers of them that take part, the higher our chances of developing successful sporting facilities on the international stage,” he adds.
A veteran’s view
At the age of 36, veteran Vovinam athlete Pal Chhor Raksmey is proud of her sporting career, which began in 1996. Despite the years of hard training – and serious injuries, like sprains and broken bones – she says the values she learned through sports are enormous.
“Pursuing a career as an athlete for so many years was not easy. I faced many difficulties and overcame many obstacles, but what I gained was physical and mental strength. I also earned a lot of opportunities to raise the Kingdom’s profile in international competitions,” she adds.
Chhor Raksmey has brought the Kingdom honour on the global stage many times, claiming a total of 26 gold and numerous silver and bronze medals at international competitions.
At the 2023 SEA Games, hosted on her home soil, she earned four gold, one silver and one bronze for Cambodia. She was also named as the Kingdom’s best overall athlete at the games.
“The medals that I have won so far are the rewards for how hard I have worked on the path I have chosen. My efforts were not in vain. What I have gained from my career is far more than I ever expected. Being selected as the best athlete at the recently-concluded SEA Games was a great and precious honour,” she says.
“I was elated, and I encourage more Cambodian women to play more sports. With the right combination of dedication and ability, we have the opportunity to promote the Kingdom on the international stage. I believe that the next generation of women will be even better than me, and compete for more medals,” she adds.
Chamroeun describes his dream of seeing Cambodia’s first Olympic medal claimed by a female athlete. He believes the dream is realistic, as many women’s sports are not as competitive as the men’s equivalent.
“No Khmer has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games, so as a sporting specialist, I dream of seeing the first woman to win a medal there. The first athlete to do it will become a historical figure, and a heroine for the entire Kingdom. Her name will be inscribed on our hearts for hundreds of years to come, and she will become the supreme symbol of our sporting success,” he says.
Riding to glory
At the tender age of 15, Princess Norodom Amrita has set herself the goal of strengthening her equestrian skills, in a bid to claim gold in show jumping at the 33rd SEA Games, set to be hosted by Thailand next year.
She also aims to become the first Cambodian equestrian to qualify to compete at the Olympic Games.
“In addition to wanting to win gold at the 2025 [SEA] games in Thailand, I want to earn a chance to compete in the Youth Olympic Games,” she says.
“This is my biggest goal, and I will strive to achieve it. If I can accomplish it, I hope that I will set an example for other Cambodian athletes to follow. I encourage Cambodian women to participate in sports and if possible, pursue a professional career,” she adds.
Chamroeun explains that in addition to the glory of elite-level competition, physical exercise provides great benefits to people’s health and reduces the risk of many minor illnesses and chronic conditions.
“Fewer women take regular exercise than men, so their immune systems are weaker and they are more likely to develop mild diseases. If women play sport, they enhance their physical and mental health, as has been proven in many scientific studies. I call on more women to join us and play more sport,” he says.
