The 2012 Cambodian National Youth Wrestling Championships will hit the mats of the National Sports Complex’s Dambol Touk Hall this weekend.

According to event organiser and national team coach Thin Vichet, around 200 wrestlers, including 20 females, hailing from eight different clubs nationwide, will compete for honours in two age categories containing four weight classes in each.

Participation has more than doubled from last year’s inaugural competition, a strong indication that the sport is flourishing in the Kingdom.

Contestants aged between 15 and 17 years old will be weighed in on Friday and classified into 48kg, 51kg, 53kg and 56kg events.

Their matches will start at 8am on Saturday and run throughout day until an evening weighing in session for the 18 to 23-year-olds, which have weight divisions of 53kg, 56kg, 60kg and 64kg.

Bouts for the elder section of men and women will start on Sunday morning and lead up to finals at 3:20pm, before a 4pm awards ceremony presided over by National Olympic Committee of Cambodia General Secretary and Cambodian Wrestling Federation President Vath Chamroeun.

The tournament has received US$10,000 of sponsorship money from CamEd Business School rector Casey Barnett, who is also an advisor to the Federation.

The event is aimed at helping develop age category champions and finding the best young wrestlers to train with the national team ahead of the next SEA Games in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, in 2013.

A cash prize of 200,000 riels (US$49.50) will be given to each individual event winner, while runners-up will collect 150,000 riels, and third 100,000 riels. Team event champions will walk away with US$300, runners-up $200 and third $100.