Cambodian Boxers Win 12 Medals in Vovinam Championship
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA
Eight Cambodian boxers have won 12 medals after the six-day World Vovinam Championship in Vietnam. The Cambodian team brought home two gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals. Cambodia had sent one coach and 9 Vovinam boxers including two female boxers to attend the World Vovinam Championship in Ho Chi Minh City. The tournament was held from the 26th to the 31st of July 2009.
There were a total of 14 countries participating in the competition, namely Cambodia, Australia, Peru, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Romania, India, Thailand, Iran, Ukraine, Poland and Vietnam.
Tep Chiveaksokhom, 30, weight 60 kg, was one of the boxers who attended the World Vovinam Championship and Vovinam competition in Vietnam. Chiveaksokhom started training in Vovinam with the Cambodian Vovinam Federation in Phnom Penh in 2006. He won two gold medals and two silver medals. “This is my first time to attend the World Vovinam Championship. I am happy with my results, as I have won four medals. I think that I won the world championship because of my hard training and hard work,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly. He said that he now is planning to attend the Asian Indoor Games Tournament which will hold on the 31st of October in Hanoi, Vietnam. He hopes that with continues training and previous competing experience, he will be able to win medals at the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.
Rat Sokhorn is President of the Cambodian Vovinam Federation (CVF) and Vice-President of the World Vovinam Federation (WVF). “I’m very proud and honored at our Cambodian Vovinam boxers for winning so many medals at the tournament. I think that this victory gives credit to Cambodian sport men and women, and will put Cambodia sport endeavors on the map in the future,” Sokhorn told The Southeast Asia Weekly during an interview on August 31.
The President continued to say that it is was the first time for Cambodian Vovinam fighters to win medals since the Cambodian Vovinam Federation was established at the end of December 2008. The success of the fighter shows the high capacities of Cambodian boxers, according to Sokhorn.
Meas Sarin, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) praised Rat Sokhorn during a celebration ceremony. “I would like to praise His Excellency Rat Sokhorn who has used his own money to support and sponsor the Cambodian boxer team for the world championship,” he said. “Although the Cambodian Vovinam team in new, it gained great result at the championship. On behalf of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport I can say that Cambodia is proud of the result the team has achieved. I strongly support the Cambodian Vovinam Federation in promoting the further development of the sport in Cambodia,” he further said.
According to Rat Sokhorn, Vovinam was introduced to Cambodia in 2005 and currently, there are about 10 clubs with other 100 trainees in Cambodia. He said that to promote the Vovinam in Cambodia, his federation planed to organize Vovinam trainings for high school students, policemen, military police and the Royal Cambodia Armed Forces so that they can use it for self protection and country protection in the future. He added that his federation also planned to send a total of 12 boxers to the Asian Indoor Games Tournament which will be take place from the 31st of October to the 5th of November 2009 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Eight Cambodian boxers have won 12 medals after the six-day World Vovinam Championship in Vietnam. The Cambodian team brought home two gold, 5 silver and 5 bronze medals. Cambodia had sent one coach and 9 Vovinam boxers including two female boxers to attend the World Vovinam Championship in Ho Chi Minh City. The tournament was held from the 26th to the 31st of July 2009.
There were a total of 14 countries participating in the competition, namely Cambodia, Australia, Peru, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Romania, India, Thailand, Iran, Ukraine, Poland and Vietnam.
Tep Chiveaksokhom, 30, weight 60 kg, was one of the boxers who attended the World Vovinam Championship and Vovinam competition in Vietnam. Chiveaksokhom started training in Vovinam with the Cambodian Vovinam Federation in Phnom Penh in 2006. He won two gold medals and two silver medals. “This is my first time to attend the World Vovinam Championship. I am happy with my results, as I have won four medals. I think that I won the world championship because of my hard training and hard work,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly. He said that he now is planning to attend the Asian Indoor Games Tournament which will hold on the 31st of October in Hanoi, Vietnam. He hopes that with continues training and previous competing experience, he will be able to win medals at the Asian Indoor Games in Vietnam.
Rat Sokhorn is President of the Cambodian Vovinam Federation (CVF) and Vice-President of the World Vovinam Federation (WVF). “I’m very proud and honored at our Cambodian Vovinam boxers for winning so many medals at the tournament. I think that this victory gives credit to Cambodian sport men and women, and will put Cambodia sport endeavors on the map in the future,” Sokhorn told The Southeast Asia Weekly during an interview on August 31.
The President continued to say that it is was the first time for Cambodian Vovinam fighters to win medals since the Cambodian Vovinam Federation was established at the end of December 2008. The success of the fighter shows the high capacities of Cambodian boxers, according to Sokhorn.
Meas Sarin, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) praised Rat Sokhorn during a celebration ceremony. “I would like to praise His Excellency Rat Sokhorn who has used his own money to support and sponsor the Cambodian boxer team for the world championship,” he said. “Although the Cambodian Vovinam team in new, it gained great result at the championship. On behalf of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport I can say that Cambodia is proud of the result the team has achieved. I strongly support the Cambodian Vovinam Federation in promoting the further development of the sport in Cambodia,” he further said.
According to Rat Sokhorn, Vovinam was introduced to Cambodia in 2005 and currently, there are about 10 clubs with other 100 trainees in Cambodia. He said that to promote the Vovinam in Cambodia, his federation planed to organize Vovinam trainings for high school students, policemen, military police and the Royal Cambodia Armed Forces so that they can use it for self protection and country protection in the future. He added that his federation also planned to send a total of 12 boxers to the Asian Indoor Games Tournament which will be take place from the 31st of October to the 5th of November 2009 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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