Cambodia Athletes to Prepare for Olympic Games 2012 in London

By Sok Lak

To mark the start of a 500 days countdown, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) and British Embassy joined together with the Indochina Starfish Foundation to celebrate the event and coincide with the fourth PricewaterhouseCoopers / Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF) U13 Boys Football Tournament at the National Stadium in Phnom Penh on 19 March.

Children cheer and prepare for competition for boys football tournament

H.E. Andrew Mace, British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, said that Olympic Games in London 2012 aim to reach young people all over the world, connecting to the inspirational power of the games, and encourage their participation in sports. “ISF U13 Boys Football Tournament and London 2012 share the same vision, which is to inspire more young people to get involved in sports,” he added.

He continued to say that Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF)’s program supporting football in communities across Cambodia provides the same inspiration to disadvantaged children through building team spirit, teaching valuable life skills and having fun.

Peter Slater, Chairman of Indochina Starfi sh Foundation (ISF), said that the event reflects the commitment of the ISF to youth football in Cambodia and to the children who are benefiting from its football coaching program.

He added that the tournament is measured not only by watching the amazing sporting prowess, courage, and commitment of the children in the participating teams but also by the sound of the laughing and cheering children at the stadium as they watch this wonderful spectacle.

Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, said that the point of ISF U13 Boys Football Tournament and 500 days toward Olympic Games 2012 is to inspire all boys and girls to play football as well as Olympic sports.

H.E. Andrew Mace released 500 balloons to symbolize the countdown to the Olympics Games in London.

 “They still have a future on Olympic Games stage and tournaments on Olympic sports to go,” he said. “In the event, the young footballers joined by spectators to complete 500 laps of the National Stadium, and released 500 balloons to symbolize the countdown to the Olympics Games in London.” To celebrate and promote more young people to join Olympic Games in London, the British Embassy will organize another big event after this event on 18 June 2011. That day is also the birthday of Olympic Games.

There will be a big event of a marathon on that day in order to provide knowledge related to Olympic Games to Cambodia as well as to spread to the world the idea of preparation for Olympic Games in London. In the Olympic Games 2012, there will be 15,000 athletes and 10,000 officials are expected in London, while an estimated four billion people will be watching from around the world.

Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, March 27-April 2, 2011/Vol.5, Issue 13, Page 12