The National Taekwondo Championship Tournament 2011

By Sok Lak

826 Taekwondo athletes including 116 female from 37 Taekwondo clubs and Associations across Cambodia have participated in the National Taekwondo Championship Tournament 2011 over six days from 08 to 13 June 2011 at National Stadium in Phnom Penh to compete to become the Taekwondo champions for 2011 in Cambodia.

The National Taekwondo Championship Tournament 2011 divided into two styles which is International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). 405 taekwondo players including 79 female players come from 22 clubs participate into ITF while 421 taekwondo players including 37 female players from 15 clubs participate into WTF.   This tournament was organized by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport in collaboration with Cambodian Taekwondo Federations, aiming to select best players for national tournament and international tournament. It is also to promote and develop the sport in Cambodia.

Bun Sok, Secretary of State for Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, said that Cambodia is trying to strengthen sport sector after whole national stay in peace by giving prize and sponsor to the champion and coach who go to international tournament.

“I optimized that Cambodia sport sector will develop both quality and quantity the same other countries in the region while our athletes is very try hard to train, practice and strengthen their ability from day to day.”  

Hem Samnang, Hem Samnang, Secretary General of Cambodia Taekwondo Federation and Deputy Secretary General of NOCC, said that the number of participation into the tournament is more than last year. “Even though it is more than last year, but I cannot found best players from this year, because most of the champion players in tournament are senior players, not new players. Anyways, the ability of them is low in developing.

As the result, among 19 events of World Taekwondo Federation Hosana club get champion in the six events mostly on Poomsae and team categories while Douch Penh club get champion three events which is all about female tournament.

In the result of International Taekwondo Federation, Police club in Bantey Meanchey become champion in fighting team event, Phnom Penh Youth club get champion in Mix Poomsae event and Kandal Youth Association get champion in technical team event.

In this year, there are 20 events in ITE and 15 events in WTF including male, female and team event.

A senior taekwondo player, Chrin Bunlong, who used to be national taekwondo athlete in 2008, said that through the competition these days, I saw that ability and performance for taekwondo do is increase, but the ability of new player is still limited. “I cannot find a best player who is new player in this year.”

According to Cambodian Ministry sport official, there were two foreign want to register National Taekwondo tournament. One of them is Lucci, French, who trained in Olympic 2 for one year and half. He told the Southeast Asia Weekly that on behalf of junior Taekwondo player, he really want to participate National Taekwondo tournament. “Unfortunately, I cannot participate the tournament, because he is not Cambodian. The reason I want to join the tournament, because I want to test my ability and show performance to my master.” As the six days of competition, Lucci saw the competition and say that Cambodian taekwondo’s skill and technique is high.

Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, July 17-23, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 29, Page 12