Cambodian athletes fought their way to claiming 17 places on the podium at the 2nd World Vovinam Championships, which concluded in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday.

The triumphant team members were honoured at a meeting at the headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia yesterday, with Cambodia Vovinam Federation president Roth Sokhorn hailing their success.

“I’m really happy with our national team’s achievement in Vovinam under the co-operation and support of the Cambodia Vovinam Federation as well as the NOCC and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports,” said Roth Sokhorn, who is also president of the ASEAN Vovinam Federation.

CVF official Ou Rothana, who traveled with the delegation to Vietnam, said 22 countries were represented at the tournament: Cambodia, Argentina, Algeria, Australia, Bela-rus, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Laos, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Morocco, as well as hosts Vietnam, where the martial art was founded in 1938.

Vath Chamroeun, general secre-tary of the NOCC, warmly welcomed back the national team with a personal donation of US$500.

He also noted that gold-medal winners were entitled to a 20 mill-ion riels (US$4,880) cash prize in accordance with government policy for international sporting success, while silver medallists could claim 16 million riels and bronze medall-ists eight million riels.

National team star Sorn Elit, 24, was the only student to grab gold for the Kingdom at Ho Chi Minh City’s  Phu Tho Stadium.

Sorn Elit, who also excels at taekwondo, took top honours in the men’s 90-kilogram combat event.

Pal Chhor Raksmey snatched a silver in the women’s 50kg combat and two more silvers in performances involving the staff and the folding fan.   

Prak Sovanny won a brace of silvers in the men’s 51kg combat and performance with a folding fan, while Ly Boramey took silvers in the forms and folding-fan categories.

Cambodian women also enjoyed double silvers, with Nuth Serey Roth succeeding in the women’s 57kg combat and forms and Vy Srey Khouch doing the same at 54kg.

San Socheat brought home a silver in the men’s 54kg folding fan and a bronze in the men’s 54kg combat. Nam Vilay claimed the silver medal in the women’s over-65kg combat.

In team events, Keot Samphors and Seung Visal bagged a bronze in the men’s knife performance, while Chin Piseth and Chrin Bunlong collected bronze in the men’s sword performance. 

TRANSLATED BY PANN RETHEA