Cambodia Host Wrestling Championship

Phnom Penh, Cambodia (22 November 2010)

Cambodian Wrestler, The Rock Garuda smiles after winning the CCAWE belt during the Water Festival

A never happen event in Cambodia has held on international standard ring on November 20th -21st at the Diamond Island in Phnom Penh as a part of celebration to Cambodian water festival is CCAWE (Cambodia Champion Association Wrestling Entertainment) Wrestling Championship.

This competition created by the Cambodia Wrestling Association (CWA) and supported by the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) and Japanese Wrestling Company. The winner of competition  will become the owner of CCAWE belt and get first title of Cambodia profession wrestler. To struggle of getting the CCAWE belt, there are 10 wrestlers come from involve and take all efforts to get the name.

Mr. Vath Chamroeun, General Secretary of NOCC, disclosed that Cambodia is the third country around the world that has wrestling after the United States of America and Japan. He said that it is very great that Cambodia had wrestling thousand years ago with the evidence on the wall of Bayon Temple.

It is very thankful for Japanese Wrestling Company leads Japanese female wrestlers who are Kyoko (Inoue Kyoko), Sato (Sato Ayako), Aono (Aono Keiko), and Ito (Ito Kaoru) to share experiences, knowledge, techniques and reinforce the abilities of Cambodian wrestlers, he emphasized.

“The competition of wrestling set as performance and also as the play, but the winner or loser do not define before, it is depend on the ability and cleverness of challengers. On other hand, it needed much more train and practice than perform in order to attract audience and support from people. In this case, the champion will be given to the one who is intelligence and powerful at the last short minutes. Therefore, we see that the competition is characterized 80 percent as performance and 20 percent as competition,” he stressed.

Mr. Thin Vichith, Coach of Khmer wrestling, noted that the professional wrestling team has six members and they are also in tanning Khmer wrestling as well. They are Nuth Sophol, Doon Sorsav, Chap Lourn, Thin Vibol, Thin Victheth and Ngoun Kimheng.

Mr. Sem Visal, President of Cambodian Wrestling Entertainment, stated that this wrestling competition is following the wrestling standard competition from America included the light system, the sound and the ring, but use the Khmer wrestling style to compete. He said that it is the first ever event as the first page of the national level wrestling of Cambodian Wrestling Association (CWA).

This competition is not limiting the round but limit the time for compete. At the last, it remains 4 strong wrestlers to struggle for champion. They are Chap Lourn called “Iron H”, Doon Sorsav called “The Rock Garuda”, Nuth Sophol called “The Mouse Copper”, and Sorn Alexp called “High Man”. As the result, the rock of Garuda wins the champion and become the owner of CCAWE belt. However, the losers promise to get the CCAWE belt from him next time. Who will be owner of CCAWE belt next competition? No one knows yet. Mr. Sem Visal said at the competition that the wrestling is the sign of friendship between Cambodian and Japanese wrestlers and also it is a hot wrestling since the wrestlers have trained at least 6 years with their best to prevent the possible injuries during the show, he revealed.

In the future, there will be more and more events between Cambodian Wrestling Association and the Japanese delegation under arrangement of NOCC, he continued. He highlights that he plan to set a national wrestling championship for all wrestlers who come from 24 city-provinces and then organize an international wrestling championship participated with American wrestlers and Japanese wrestlers.

The Rock Garuda told The Southeast Asia Weekly after competition that the love of wresting sport inspired him to enroll in wrestling and invest all effort on training until he can get champion in this competition. It is very hard for him to get champion while other competitor are strong and powerful. On the name of wrestler, he advised all Cambodian people especially youth do not follow the action of all wrestler and try to practice at home. “If you all love wrestling and want to learn it, you can come to learn with him and Cambodian Association Wrestling, because this sport is different from other sports and dangerous if you have never train before,” he said. He noted that he stayed with Khmer wrestling 4 years and then professional wrestling 3 years.

By S.L (Vol. 4, Issue 48, SEAW)