The Asian Kun Khmer Championship will be staged for the first time in Vietnam this year, while China is seeking permission to host the Kun Khmer World Championship later this year.
Khov Chhay, president of the Khmer Boxing Federation and secretary-general of the International Kun Khmer Federation, revealed the exciting new international developments to The Post on March 11, shortly before traveling to Vietnam.
While visiting the neighbouring nation, he will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vietnamese Kun Khmer Federation in Vietnam and local sponsors to prepare for the Asian championship, in Can Tho province.
“We will organise a historic event in 2026 that has never been held before — the Asian Kun Khmer Championship,” Chhay said.
“Vietnam requested permission to host the event after seeing the development and growth of Kun Khmer. Today, there are many Kun Khmer clubs in Vietnam,” he added.
The tournament is expected to take place in July 2026, with 15 to 20 Asian countries likely to participate.
Meanwhile, the Kun Khmer World Championship, which Cambodia has hosted six times, could be held outside Cambodia for the first time. China has proposed hosting the 2026 edition after recently joining the International Kun Khmer Federation, which currently includes 63 member states.
The 6th Kun Khmer World Championship (2025 edition) was held in Preah Sihanouk province from February 10–13, 2026.
“China has requested host right to the 2026 World Championship,” explained Chhay.
“We are reviewing their capacity and conditions to determine whether they can organise the event, as we usually plan to hold the championship in November or December,” he noted.
Discussions are also underway to launch regular Kun Khmer competitions in Vietnam.
Chhay revealed that a major event organisation in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province has agreed to host Kun Khmer events every three months at a large arena that previously staged MMA and kickboxing events. If the first phase is successful and receives strong support, the competitions could eventually become monthly events.
“This is an important step as we expand Kun Khmer internationally and promote it more widely,” he explained, adding “After Vietnam, we plan to push further into other countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, China and even parts of Europe like France, where Kun Khmer events are already taking place regularly.”
He emphasized that the goal is to organise competitions monthly or quarterly, allowing Kun Khmer fighters to compete more frequently and gain more international exposure.
