Em Chanray, right, a 16-year-old, 48-kg bundle of muscle and aggression, lands a blow to the jaw of her opponent, Theoun Chanry, in Cambodia's first televised women's kick-boxing match, on TV3 on March 20. They fought five two-minute rounds in a ring built in the studio, before a large, mostly male audience. Although Chanray appeared to dominate, the referee, Chey Bunchur, declared a draw. The two boxers have each had about 20 fights, mostly against Thai women on the northwest Thailand-Cambodia border.
Cambodia will send a team to the 2004 Olympic Games, for only the third time in 30
years.
National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) secretary-general Meas Sarin says at
least four Khmer athletes, two men and two women, will go to Athens for the Olympics,
held from August 13 to August 29.
The NOCC is in the process of selecting two people to compete in a track and field
event and two swimmers.
Sarin said: "Cambodians can be proud that our nation will once again be represented
at the Olympic Games."
Olympic events usually require participants to qualify through a series of smaller
touraments. No Cambodian has qualified in this way, but Sarin said the country is
nonetheless allowed to select four athletes to take part.
He is also lobbying for a fifth Cambodian entrant in boxing, wrestling or taekwondo
through a "wild card" entry. The Cambodian team is funded by annual grants
by the International Olympic Committee.
Khmers first appeared at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, then at Tokyo 1964 and Munich
1972, before internal troubles called a halt to international sporting endeavors
for almost three decades.
In 1996 the Cambodian flag was once again flying proudly at the Atlanta Olympics,
followed by an entry to the 2000 Sydney Games.
Sarin has launched an appeal for Khmers living abroad to represent the country:"If
Cambodians living in other countries are good at their sport we want them to come
and compete for us. If they are better than local Khmers, whatever the sport, they
will earn a place.
"Cambodia needs successful, talented athletes to lead us forward. Success brings
success. If someone can pay their air fare to Cambodia we will be able to cover their
costs to travel to competitions such as the SEA and Asian Games and I can take care
of citizenship matters."
