President of the Khmer Boxing Federation (KBF) Khov Chhay has reiterated that making Kun Khmer internationally recognised requires all parties to join together as one. Only by doing so can this goal be achieved. Without unity, he said, “we will never be able to defeat others”. Even though Kun Khmer has progressed significantly in recent years, with increasing support from the private sector and more domestic and international events being organised — and with the possibility of hosting Kun Khmer competitions in many other countries — Chhay still sees ongoing disagreements, criticisms and sometimes harsh arguments. Chhay did not blame…
Author: Chhorn Norn
Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), was proud to announce that the 30th Angkor International Half Marathon 2025, scheduled for December 7, has received 16,000 registrations, breaking the record for the highest number of participants in the event’s 30-year history. Among the registered runners, more than 3,000 are foreigners, from 86 different nations — a record-breaking number. For comparison, the 29th Angkor International Half Marathon in 2024 saw over 14,000 participants, and was also attended by Prime Minister Hun Manet and many high-ranking leaders, who joined the run. Speaking to the media on Monday, Chamroeun…
Russian fighter Kostya Rudenko defended his X Treme Cambodia championship belt against Cambodian fighter Thun Chantak in the Hang Meas ring on the night of November 30. After the match, he announced that he would stop fighting Cambodian athletes, expressing instead his desire to compete representing “Kun Khmer”. Having fought 74 bouts, winning 61 — including 20 by knockout — drawing 3 and losing 10, the 26-year-old said he had developed a deep affection and firm conviction about representing Kun Khmer. His father is a Kun Khmer coach in Russia, meaning Rudenko’s strong fighting skill originally came from training in…
Sam Tharoth, known to her many supporters as a multi-skilled martial artist and actress who has featured in several films, has been selected as the winner of the Women of the Future (WOF) Sports Award. The ceremony took place in Singapore on November 27. Her achievement comes as Cambodia celebrates the third anniversary of Kun Lbokator’s inscription on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, on November 29, 2022. To mark the occasion, an illustration featuring Tharoth, Grandmaster San Kim Sean and three other athletes was released. Tharoth was included because of her significant contributions to promoting and raising…
The China–Hong Kong Khmer Boxing Federation has been officially established, marking a significant step in promoting and elevating Kun Khmer on the world stage. This comes as the leadership of the International Kun Khmer Federation continues to gather support from more countries to participate in the traditional Cambodian martial art, with the long-term goal of making it eligible for inclusion in the Olympic Games. The creation of the federation wasy announced during the E-Mei Legend X event in Hong Kong on November 25, with Khov Chhay, acting secretary-general of the international federation, presenting a certificate officially recognizing the new federation…
Cambodia, through the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), has officially notified Dato Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat, chief executive officer of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), that the Kingdom has altered its entry plans for the 33rd SEA Games 2025, to be held in Thailand from December 9-20. According to the official letter, signed by Vath Chamroeun, NOCC secretary-general of NOCC, and dated November 26, Cambodia has confirmed it will withdraw from eight of the 21 sports it originally intended to compete in. This means the Kingdom will now participate in just 13 sports. The letter listed the eight sports…
Cambodian sports specialist Vath Chamroeun has expressed his vision to transform Preah Sihanouk province into a major international hub for professional fighting events — similar to Las Vegas in the US, one of the world’s most famous combat-sports capitals. Chamroeun, who serves as secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) and acting president of the International Kun Khmer Federation, believes the coastal province has significant economic potential, making it an ideal location to host world-class fighting events. “When people talk about Las Vegas, they talk about the major world-class fights that are held there. We want Preah Sihanouk…
The leadership of the Cambodian SEA Games delegation has established a special intervention team to monitor, assess situations and manage Cambodian athletes in order to ensure their safety and provide immediate responses should a crisis occur during the 33rd SEA Games, to be hosted in Thailand from December 9–20. According to a November 25 statement issued by the General Department of Sports under the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia is prepared to repatriate its sporting delegates should any serious incident occur. The department laid out several key principles explaining Cambodia’s decision to send its sports delegation to participate…
Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport Hang Chuon Naron has acknowledged that Cambodia would lose face if it boycotted the 33rd SEA Games in 2025, but Thailand, as the host country, would also suffer significant embarrassment if it does anything that negatively affects Cambodian athletes or delegates during the event, which will take place from December 9 to 20. He shared his thoughts as he met with some of the athletes and coaches selected to represent Cambodia at the games, on November 24 at the Peace Palace, on behalf of Prime Minister Hun Manet. The Kingdom will send a total…
Fighters from 37 countries around the world will gather in Preah Sihanouk province to compete in the Kun Khmer World Championship 2025, taking place from December 17–20. The event will feature world-title Kun Khmer professional belt matches, pitting eight of Cambodia’s top fighters against international opponents. According to Khov Chhay, acting secretary-general of the International Kun Khmer Federation, 23 countries have already submitted their fighter lists, while the remaining 14 are preparing to send theirs. He described the upcoming competition during a press conference in Preah Sihanouk on Sunday, November 23. “The 2025 Kun Khmer World Championship is another remarkable…