A surge in the sports-related tourism in Cambodia over the last 12 months has led to the creation of a new role in the tourism ministry for the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia Secretary-General Vath Chamroeun.

The NOCC official, who has less than a year to run in his first term, has been appointed as an adviser to Tourism Minister Thong Khon to ensure better administrative and organisational co-ordination between the sports and tourism sectors.

This advisory position for the Kingdom’s top sports administrator is considered as an added fillip to several ensuing tourism-sports initiatives, which include international half-marathons in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, the proposed Sea Festival in Kep this December and the ASEAN Motor Rally.

The timing of the appointment is also significant with Chinese President Hu Jin Tao scheduled to visit Cambodia in the next few months.

During his trip, a major Chinese bank is expected to announce a huge sponsorship package to boost the Cambodian tourism sector.

“I am eager and ready to assume this role. We have seen a spurt in tourism-related sports activities in the country, and I will direct my efforts to improve our organisational competence,” Vath Chamroen told the Post in an exclusive interview yesterday.

“We have several exciting sports initiatives on the anvil to attract more tourists to Cambodia. We are planning to take the Sea Festival to Kep province in December and introduce water adventure sports at our Aquatics Centre in Kampot. For the first time we may well have Cambodian participants in the ASEAN Motor rally,” added the secretary.

The idea to rope in Vath Chamroeun to the ministry as an advisory back-up is credited directly to Tourism Minister Thong Khon, who is also president of the NOCC.

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