By Sok Lak
Twelve Cambodian Vovinam athletes including three female athletes departed from Cambodia to Vietnam on July 21st to participate the World Vovinam Championship in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on July 28-31.
The World Vovinam Championship aims to raise the traditional martial art and select best Vovinam players as serves as preparations for upcoming tournaments in Asia and Europe especially 26th SEA Games in Indonesia.
Oknha Rat Sokhorn, President of Cambodia Vovinam Federation and Vice President of World Vovinam Federation, said that it is the second time that Cambodian Vovinam athletes attend international tournament. “Although we had only a short period of training last time, but we can achieved desired results.” He believed that Cambodian Martial Artists will get better results this time, because all of them are prepared for participation including full two month training in Vietnam and three years training in country. In this session of the game, the Cambodian athletes will participate in various events.
He mentioned that athletes nearly 30 countries from around the world athletes will attend the world-class martial arts competition.
Cambodia athletes also attend various competition including national competition and international to accumulate experience. They used to get gold medal, silver and bronze so they hope to improve in order to achieve good results this time, he stated. “Cambodian athletes‘ability can compare to the level ability of other countries after five strong countries such as Vietnam, France, Italy, American and Australia.”
Tep Chireaksokhom, Vovinam national coach, said that the ability of Cambodian athletes can compare to other countries. “Through the experience, Cambodian Vovinam athletes have abilities the same as other countries except French, Italy and Russians, because they train in long time and are good in all kinds of fighting categories. For showing categories, our athletes can compare with Italian athletes.”
Last time, in first World Vovinam Championship in 2009, Cambodian athletes receive four medal including two silver medals and two bronze medals. For indoor game, they used to get one goal medals, six silver medals and six bronze medals, national coach emphasized.
Reakmey, 25, an example of new Vovinam athletes who just join Vovinam half of a year, but the ability is improving so fast and they hope to get medals in the coming completion. She said that she never join competition since she join Vovinam, but she used to perform several time in Vietnam. “I will try all my effort to participate the competition.”
Nuth Sreyroath, a national Vovinam athletes, said that she joined Vovinam since 2009 and used to participate into international tournament two times, one of them is World Championship tournament. In the World Championship tournament, she got the third place and received bronze medal.
In the next coming tournament, she expected 50 percent to get champion, because it is the World completion so that we do not know what happen. “I will use all my techniques and abilities to compete in the coming game.”
All Vovinam athletes around the world will come together to contest for 80 sets of medals in 18 fighting event and 22 Kata events in both men and women’s categories.
Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, July 24-30, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 30, Page 12
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