The Cambodian vovinam team pose for a group photo after winning the medal on March 30, 2023. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Cambodia finished the 6th Southeast Asian Vovinam Championship 2023 in Phnom Penh top of the medal table with 10 gold, nine silver and 10 bronze to record the Kingdom’s best ever result.
The home nation racked up more medals than Vietnam, from where the vovinam martial art originates, who took nine gold and 11 silver to finish second.
But the tally of 29 medals did not satisfy president of the Cambodia Vovinam Federation Ou Ratana, who urged the team to strive harder to maintain momentum and ensure an impressive showing when Cambodia hosts the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA) Games in May.
“This competition showed that our athletes are now stronger than in previous events. We picked up silver medals in the previous SEA Games in Vietnam, but we have now won 10 golds.
“This is a commendable result, but it also serves as motivation for our athletes to keep striving to pick up more and bring greater success for the nation.
“Cambodia hosting the 32nd SEA Games on May 5 will be a huge triumph, and we vow to strive to maintain momentum after the results we achieved here and win even more medals. Spurred by this medal haul, our athletes will train even harder,” he said.
The five-day event at the hall of the Royal University of Phnom Penh concluded on March 30. Cambodia won medals in 30 events – 22 in performance and eight in combat.
Myanmar took third place with five gold medals, four silver and 19 bronze, while Thailand won three gold, five silver and four bronze to finish fourth.
Indonesia came fifth, winning three gold medals and 16 bronze, while the Philippines won one gold medal and six bronze medals. Laos came seventh, with four bronze medals.
“Through this competition, we have seen certain weak points in our athletes, so we will work hard on these to improve.
“We need to make sure we can maintain the momentum of the medals we picked up here and kick on, with silver medallists inspired to land gold.
“Gold medalists will have to guard against complacency to ensure victory at the 2023 SEA Games,” Ratana said.
The Cambodia Vovinam Federation aims to take at least nine gold medals at the upcoming SEA Games, the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC) has said.
“The Cambodian vovinam team will make this medal objective because they have shown they are capable of performing ably and fighting to victory,” Ratana said.
Minister of National Defence Tea Banh, who heads CAMSOC, has said all national sports federations must receive the sporting delegations from other countries well to uphold the honour and image of the Kingdom, which is set to host the SEA Games for the first time in its history.
“Our hospitality drew praise from all the countries that entered the 2023 Southeast Asian Vovinam Championship as nothing was lacking.
“The competition went smoothly, without any hitches and proved a success through the effective organisation of the Cambodia Vovinam Federation, CAMSOC and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport,” Ratana said.
