Chheang Vannasak was born and raised in Phnom Penh. The a son of a true tennis lover, Chheang Sowann, he grew up with the sport and went on to become a standout junior player for Tennis Cambodia, ending his junior career as the No1 junior player in the country.
Not only did Vannasak succeed on the court, he also excelled in the classroom.
Upon graduating, he was accepted into Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) in Lewiston, Idaho on a tennis and academic scholarship in the US.
Vannasak recently finished his junior year at LCSC. In his first year playing for the LCSC Warriors he started in the doubles line-up, and finished his second year playing both doubles and singles for the team.
In the classroom he has also continued to shine, making the Dean’s List his first two years by achieving higher than a 3.25 GPA each semester, and has now recently completed his junior year and made the President’s List for the first time, where he received a GPA higher than 3.75.
He is on school holidays now and will return to the college in August, where he will complete the fourth and final year of his studies and continue to seek even greater heights for the Warriors.
Through his achievements, Vannasak has paved the way for the younger players.
Tep Timothy has now just completed his first year at Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and after his breakout tennis season was voted as the Most Valuable Freshmen Athlete of the Year for the Marlins.
Timothy finished his first year playing in the top three of the singles line up and finished with a singles record of 16 wins and four losses.
“We are so proud of Sak’s [Vannasak’s] achievements abroad,” commented Tennis Cambodia secretary-general Tep Rithivit.
“It’s one thing just to be able to play for the tennis team on an athletic scholarship, but to simultaneously maintain outstanding performance with his studies as well is great to see.
“Sak and Timothy are the first two to show us and the Cambodian community that sports can lead to a higher education, which is something we hope to show more and more of with the next generation of players,” Rithivit added.
