The Cambodia Karate Federation (CKF) has sent a delegation of 17 coaches and athletes to the Karate1 Series A, in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, from November 18 to 20, while other Cambodian athletes who are already training there will also be competing for medals at this major event.

Heng Pheng, head coach of the national karate team, considers the trip to the world champs an important opportunity for the Kingdom’s athletes to sharpen their skills against the world’s best, ahead of the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which will be hosted by Cambodia.

Pheng spoke to reporters at Phnom Penh International Airport on November 16, before leaving for Indonesia.

“We plan to win between one and four gold medals at next year’s games, and that's why we are working so hard. The three-month training camp in Japan that some of our team completed in September has really given them an edge,” he said.

At least 65 nations will compete at the Karate1 Series A, and he hopes that his fighters – those who just completed two weeks of training in Indonesia, as well as those who made the Japanese trip – will gain the experience they will need to triumph in Phnom Penh.

“This event will be one of the toughest that our athletes have had to endure, with many victories needed to make the finals. Win or lose, we will remain proud of our team members, and expect that what they learn at this competition will double their chances of standing atop the podium when the May games come around,” he added.

Theng Kimchhea, one of the competitors at the Karate1 Series A champs, already knows that this event will be tough. In this event, the individual kata competition, at least 90 athletes will be competing.

“I see this event as a bridge to the 20323 SEA Games. The experience will be invaluable. If we can win medals, that would be great, but even if we don’t, we will know what we need to do to improve, and will work harder upon our return. We have not slowed down in our efforts because we want to give ourselves the best shot at medaling at the Phnom Penh games,” he said.

Ho Heng, who will be competing in both the individual and team kata, claimed that the Cambodian team was ready for the Karate1 Series A. He said that he and his team have been training hard since returning from Japan, even practicing on holidays.

“Since so many countries are participating, we hope to learn enough to lift our abilities to another level. We will use the experience to increase our chances of securing medals at our home games,” he said.

The Jakarta event will not be the last chance for the team to hone their razor-sharp skills. The athletes still have a long way to go before they have the chance to impress on home soil.

The karate federation, chaired by Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth, will use the 3rd National Games at the end of November as chance to develop its athletes.

In addition, the federation will send the team to the Asian Karate Championships in Uzbekistan in mid-December – and then the Southeast Asian Karate Championship in March next year – to ensure their readiness to compete.

“We know that there is no substitute for competition for building the capacity of our fighters. After participating in the Karate1 Series A 2022, we will make sure they are exposed to as many contests as possible,” added Pheng.

The Jakarta competition is divided into two main categories: Kata and combat.

Cambodia has entered four of the kata disciplines: The men’s and women’s individual and team performances.

The men will contest five weight classes in the combat discipline: 60kg, -67kg, -75kg, -84kg and +84kg. The women will fight in three: 50kg, -55kg and -61kg.