A Baktouk High School player (R) tries to smash the ball past Phnom Penh Thmey High School team members during their Western Cup volleyball match on February 18, 2012. Photograph: Sreng Meng Srun/Phnom Penh Post

The fourth edition of the inter-high school volleyball tournament for the Western Cup will open at the Chea Sim Samaky High School in Phnom Penh on Saturday.

The competition, which stretches up to the end of March, involves 27 participating schools, an increase of seven compared with last year.

The organisational force behind the event is Western University with BIDC, M150, Sabay, Western International School and Western Training Centre adding their weight as co-sponsors.

A redeeming feature of this year’s tournament is Western University’s offer of a 50 per cent scholarship for members of the teams making the semi-finals.

The prizemoney has also gone up to six million riel (US$1,502) this year with the runners-up assured of four million riel. The third and fourth placed teams will get three million and two million riel respectively.

“The prizemoney has gone up and our aim is to find sponsors and take the top prizemoney to 10 million riel in the coming years,” the Chancellor of Western University, Te Laurent, told a news conference in Phnom Penh on Monday.

While thanking all the co-sponsors, the Chancellor said it was time to promote volleyball vigorously at this level so that the youth could help build a healthy and dignified society.

Russey Keo High School won the inaugural event in 2010. The honour went to Champou Voan in 2011 and Prek Leap the following year.

The 27 teams have been split into four groups to be played at different high school courts across the capital.

Pool A

Venue: Champou Voan High School

1. Pong Toeuk
2. Hun Sen Phnom Penh Thmey
3. Hun Sen Bun Rany Arunvatey
4. Chea Sim Chhouk Va
5. Tuol Ampil
6. Tuol Prasath Sen Sok

Pool B

Venue: Baktouk High School

1. Wat Phnom
2. Santhormok
3. Hun Sen Borey 100 Knong
4. Preah Sisowat
5. Tuol Tumpoung
6. Hun Sen Bun Rany Phsar Doeum Thkov
7. Chhbar Ampov

Pool C

Venue: Wat Phnom High School

1. Chamrouen Rath
2. Chhroy Changvar
3. Prek Leap
4. Samrorng
5. Russey Keo
6. Indraktevy
7. Hun Sen Champou Voan

Pool D

Venue: Chhbar Ampov High School

1. 1. Boeung Trabek
2. Baktouk
3. Chea Sim Boeung Keng Kang
4. Chak Angre
5. Prek Kampoes
6. Prek Eng
7. Chea Sim Samaky

To contact the reporter on this story: H S Manjunath at [email protected]