Cambodian Olympians

Cambodia has a long and proud tradition of participation in the Olympic Games that started in 1956, with the Kingdom’s first Olympic appearance at the Equestrian Olympic Games of Stockholm. Since then, the popularity of the Olympic Games among Cambodians has grown exponentially. Alongside the growing national esteem for the event, the government has actively sought to promote sporting excellence in the Kingdom through various programmes and the ongoing development of the country’s sporting infrastructure.

Since first entering the Games around 60 years ago, Cambodia has sent 37 participants to seven editions of the Summer Olympic Games. 2012 was their fifth consecutive games appearance and eighth overall. Cambodian athletes have competed in seven different disciplines. A country renowned for its aptitude for boxing, it is unsurprisingly one of the country’s strongest Olympic activities. The country ranked 9th place in the 1964 games, thanks to two Cambodian boxers: Khiru Soeun, a featherweight and Touch Nol, a light-welterweight.

However, any discussion of the country’s Olympic history should start with Hem Thon, one of the Kingdom’s greatest sportsmen and the nation's most lauded swimmer. Hem Thon passed away in January 2015 after a brilliant sporting career that saw him dominate the national swimming scene for a decade, placing first in every competition. His greatest moment of glory came at a competition in Singapore where he won his first international gold medal, outclassing renowned swimmers from four other countries in the 100 metres freestyle.

The weight of Hem Thon’s contribution to Cambodian sports and Olympic performance is immeasurable. He founded the Swimming Federation in 1983, and served as its Secretary-General for the next 32 years. At the time of his death, Hem Thon was serving as the Deputy Secretary-General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC).

Hem Thon’s son, Hemthon Punlou, and granddaughter, Hemthon Vittiny, followed the patriarchal footsteps and are both accomplished athletes in the swimming pool. Representing Cambodia in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, they both raced alongside the best swimmers in the world. With the hopes of a whole nation resting on them, the duo has been working hard to prepare themselves for the 2016 Summer Olympics Games, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Wrestler Chov Sotheara is another lauded athlete, and one of the nation’s most accomplished sportswomen. At the 27th edition of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA games) held in Myanmar, Chov Sotheara repeated her success of the 2009 SEA Games in Laos by taking home gold in the freestyle event. Chov Sotheara competed in London, having received a special scholarship from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to help her train and qualify for the games.

Sorn Seavmey, also known as Cambodia’s Golden Girl, gained national and international attention when she clinched a gold medal in the women’s taekwondo event at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Her medal was Cambodia’s first gold at the Asian Games, and its significance for the Cambodian sporting scene is unprecedented. Sorn Seavmey was also a 2013 SEA Games gold medalist. Having become Cambodia’s Olympic sweetheart, the eyes of the whole nation will fall upon her as she readies herself for the upcoming Rio games.

Sorn Davin is another taekwondo sportswoman that has risen to prominence in the Kingdom. Born in the city of Phnom Penh, Sorn Davin clinched a silver medal in the 2009 SEA Games. She represented Cambodia at the 2012 London Games and was given the honour of carrying the flag for her country during the Parade of Nations.

Pugilist Phal Sophat is also a source of national pride. He captured a silver medal in boxing at the 2009 SEA Games. Competing in one of the Kingdom’s most widely followed and loved sports, Phal Sophat has quickly become a well-known figure after his brilliant 2009 performance. He also had the honour of competing in London alongside the world’s best pugilists. To help him prepare for the event, he received a scholarship from the IOC.

The government of Cambodia has gone to great lengths to promote sporting excellence, and improve the country’s performance in future Olympic Games. The National Olympic Committee recently awarded olympic scholarships to five athletes to help them prepare and qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The recipients were Sorn Davin and Sorn Seavmey for taekwondo, Ngoun Makara and Chov Sotheara for wrestling and Hemthon Vittiny for swimming.

Through initiatives to support budding talent and develop local sporting infrastructure, the Kingdom of Cambodia is proudly helping their athletes constantly raise their performance to become increasingly competitive in international arenas. With a growing community of promising sportspeople, it won’t be long before we see Cambodian athletes stride toward the Olympic podium.