A squad of five Cambodian sailors and three officials are in Malaysia for the 2018 Johor International Regatta, which starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday.

The move by the Cambodian Sailing Federation (CSF) comes as part of a drive to sharpen the competitive skills of the national squad ahead of their Asian Games debut in August.

While Duch Bunthuoen is participating in the Laser standard invitational, Soth Mesa and Heang Sunheng are taking part in the windsurfing Techno open. Nhov Chan is competing in the Laser 4.7 boys, with Pal Seayla the only entry in the windsurfing open invitational.

The three accompanying officials include CSF secretary-general Som Sothrithypong, who heads the Cambodian delegation, and CSF coaches Yin Koavesna and Chan Veasna, joining the team to get firsthand knowledge of racing and sailing management.

Cambodian sailors will also be taking part in two major events over the next three weeks before heading to China for an intensive training camp from May 11 until the third week of August before their departure for the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games in Indonesia.

After the Johor event, the Kingdom’s squad will compete in Thailand’s Pattaya International Windsurfing Cup from April 27-29 at Jomtien Beach, before attending the ASAF Youth Championship at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya.

“The Federation is taking part in these regional races, which are fortunately of high quality, to provide our sailors with sharper competitive experience and help our officials gain a better sense of the technical aspects of sailing management and development,” CSF president Gordon Tang said.

“The China training stint will benefit our sailors in fitness conditioning, racing tactics and a give them a chance to spar with some of China’s top windsurfers, who are currently world champions and Olympic medalists,” said Tang, who is also a vice-president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia and a passionate sailor himself.