National volleyball team player Voeurn Veasna at the recently-held 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Vietnam. SUPPLIED
After receiving permission from the Asian Volleyball Confederation, the Visakha Volleyball Club signed a contract to transfer its best player – Voeurn Veasna – to the Long AN Volleyball Club in Vietnam for a two-week stretch.
Regarding Veasna’s fee paid by the Long An Club, secretary-general of the Volleyball Federation of Cambodia, Ang Serey Piseth, said that it is in the five figure range and will instantly make Veasna the highest paid volleyball player in the Kingdom’s history.
“In 2017, our players competed in Indonesia and Thailand and both rewarded them financially and with other benefits, but at that time it was just a small amount. In Veasna’s case, we can say for certain that he will break the record. No one is being paid more than him to play volleyball in Cambodia,” he said.
According to Piseth, it wasn’t just Veasna who had been contacted and was sought after by clubs internationally, but five or six other Cambodian players have also been contacted by clubs from other countries.
However, while Cambodia prepares to host the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Phnom Penh, only Veasna will be transferred to the Long An Club in line with the Visakha Club’s wishes and in proportion to the development of Cambodian volleyball players for the pursuit of medals in 2023.
“Not only was Long An Club interested, but also Ho Chi Minh Club and Hanoi Club and many other clubs have made offers to me to bring our players over to them, but we have to look at the conditions and what benefits they bring,” he said.
At the recent 31st SEA Games in Vietnam, Veasna was the most significant player in helping the Cambodian national volleyball team win its first-ever bronze medal in history after the Kingdom suffered through a wait of nearly 40 years.
However, Battambang native Veasna did not end his ambitions with winning a SEA Games medal or even by going to the volleyball league in Vietnam.
“Playing for Long An, I will further strengthen my game and try to show more of my capabilities. I think that my performance at the last SEA Games put people on notice, but for this two-week trip to Vietnam, I will try to stand out even more so that I can gain more opportunities to go even further,” Veasna said.
Cambodian volleyball fans need not worry that Veasna has forgotten where his loyalties should lie, however.
“When I play in Vietnam this time, I will be there to help their club win, but I will also go there to gain experience and I will learn techniques from the Vietnamese side to help develop our team and to help develop my teammates for the 2023 SEA Games,” he said.
