By Sok Lak
The Olympic Day Run held on 18 June this year through Marathon event in Phnom Penh every year.
“Cambodia is to celebrate Olympic day every year on 18 June which is the birthday of the Queen Norodom Moniveath Sihanouk from the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia,” Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, said
He added that the celebration of Olympic Day in Cambodia named “Olympic Day Phnom Penh Half Marathon”, which chooses Phnom Penh as the place to celebrate the event.
The event also celebrate the 117th year anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which coincides with the World Environment Day celebrations (WED) on the 18 June and the birthday of the Queen Norodom Monivealth Sihanouk.
Mr. Chamroeun said at the press conference that about 2,000 Cambodian and foreign amateur and professional athletes are expected to take part in the event in which 1500 athletes based in Phnom Penh, 300 athletes Cambodians from outside Phnom Penh and 200 athletes from overseas.
"The event is to promote sports in Cambodia as well as to development sport into public," Mr. Chamroeun said. In the time, it is to attract people to pay attention on environment issues over the world as well as Cambodia.
The race will take place at the riverside Prime Minister Hun Sen's park, which divide into three different categories are 21 kilometers for professional athletes, 8 and 5 kilometers for amateurs.
The winners in 21 kilometer racing will be awarded 1,000 U.S. dollars, and 700 U.S. dollars and 500 U.S. dollars for the second and third finishers respectively. For the winners in 5 and 8 kilometer racing will be award 50 U.S dollars, and 30 U.S dollars and 25 U.S dollars for the second and third finishers correspondingly.
For the first 500 participants to register into Olympic Day Phnom Penh Half Marathon will receive special gift which worth 50 U.S dollars. By the way, all participants will receive an ISP top up card, a Telco sim pack, mineral water, singlet, t-shirt, runner’s number, sweat band and gift which worth 25 U.S dollars. After finish the race, all participants will have taken part in the world wide event to celebrate the WED.
Along of the Olympic Day Phnom Penh Half Marathon, there are three other events such as Recycling Programme which will organize at Wat Phnom by NGO and support from Ministry of Environment, International Environment Exhibition which will organize at Naga World by NGO and support from Phnom Penh Municipal, and Culture Show which will organize at Wat Phnom by Embassies and other NGOs and support by Ministry of Tourism.
It is note that Olympic Day was held at the first time on 23 June 1894 with a total of nine National Olympic Committees such as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Great Britain, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is also the day of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was formally established through the effort of Pierre de Coubertin promoting competitive Games. For the first Olympic Day was held in 1987 over a distance of 10 kilometer, with 45 participating NOCs. In 2006, there were 161 NOCs held Olympic Day Run in their country including Cambodia as well. Usually, the Olympic Day Run held during 17 to 24 Jun, with 1.5 Kilometer Olympic Day Fun Run, five and ten kilometer running activities.
Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, May 15-21, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 20, Page 12
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