The Cambodian national ju-jitsu team departed for Manila, the Philippines, on Wednesday, July 9 to compete in the SEA Ju-Jitsu Championship 2025, held from July 12–13. Officials from the Cambodian Ju-Jitsu Federation expressed their hopes that each of the athletes will return home with medals for the nation.
Thong Panathun, federation acting president, explained that the competition — the second edition of the ASEAN Ju-Jitsu Championship – features teams from eight countries, with a total of around 400 athletes. Cambodia sent 18 competitors, alongside countries like Singapore and Vietnam, who also dispatched large teams.
“In previous regional and global tournaments, we only sent a small number of athletes. But for this ASEAN Championship, we are sending a larger team because it’s a great opportunity to accurately measure our athletes’ capabilities as we prepare for the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand later this year,” he said.
Panhathun added that all 18 selected athletes have international experience and a track record of medal wins at both Asian and world-level events.
In addition, the Federation has also included two Khmer-American athletes, one of whom previously won gold in ju-jitsu competitions in the US. If they perform well, they may be selected to represent Cambodia at the SEA Games. The remaining team members are all SEA Games hopefuls.
“We hope all 18 athletes will come home with medals. But we acknowledge that our neighbours are strong too, and every country is sending large teams — so things could go either way,” said Panhathun.
“Nevertheless, we remain highly optimistic that these 18 athletes will deliver good results,” he added.
His confidence comes on the heels of Cambodia’s recent success at the 9th Asian Ju-Jitsu Championship, held in Jordan last May. Cambodia’s six-athlete delegation brought home 2 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Further adding to their momentum, at the AFG Open Championship, held at Rangsit University in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 17–18, Cambodia’s six athletes secured an impressive haul of 9 gold, 6 silver and 2 bronze medals.
Notably, Mab Sohouy won the Absolute Pro (Open Weight) championship belt, the first time Cambodia has claimed this title. The event featured 865 athletes from 53 countries.
