Cambodia’s Sports Famous in Petanque

By Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

Petanque is recognized as one of Cambodia’s sports which gained more medals from Sea Games and international competitions comparing to others.

According to Em Heang, Deputy Director of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, Petanque which is a French sport and was established in Cambodia in French colony in 1950s has become a great sport of Cambodia which has brought Cambodia’s reputation to the world’s recognition.

Heang, who is also a Petanque Coach and Secretariat of Cambodian Petanque and Sport Boules Federation at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, said that since 1993 till present, the national Petanque players had brought the honors and victories for Cambodia from competitions including SEA Games and other international competitions.

He told the Cambodia Weekly that, “Now, I am very proud of our Petanque. It is only one sport among other Cambodia’s sports which has brought a lot of medals and successes in SEA Games Competitions for our nation.”

He pointed out that the national Petanque players were firstly sent for SEA Games Competition in 2001 and since then, they were won medals every SEA Games competition.

“In 2004 when attended international competition in France, Cambodian Petanque players won number three among 53 countries who attended the competition. Thus, I think that they are really capable on playing at international competitions, in the world,” he said.

Since 1993 until present, he said, Cambodian Petanque players gained a total of 95 medals (30 golden, 35 silver and 31 bronzes) from national and international competitions. And 19 medals (4 golden, 10 silver and 5 bronze) of those medals won from SEA Games Competitions that celebrated in Malaysia (2001), Vietnam (2003), Philippines (2005), and Thailand (2007).

Hor Nannra, Coach of the National Petanque Team in Cambodian Petenque and Sport Boules Federation, said that the success was from hard training, discipline and efforts of the players, and with supports from Cambodian government.

He said, “All the players are disciplined and trained very hard every day. They trained eight hours per day and from Monday to Saturday. They all have experiences both national and international competitions.”

He said that in the National Petanque Team, there were 21 Petanque players in total including 11 males and 10 females.

Duch Sophorn, 32, one of national Petanque players who won four medals (1 golden and 3 silvers) from the SEA Games Competitions, said she was so happy that she won the medals from international competitions for her country.

She said, “I started training Petanque in 1999. I participated in competing Petanque in ASEA Games competitions for four times in Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand. I gained four medals from these competitions.”

“Nowadays, I have been training very hard in order to be ready for the next SEA Games Competitions. However, I will try my best to bring more medals from the Competitions for my country,” she added.

According to Em Heang, the next SEA Games competition would take place in Laos in 2009.

He said that recently, the Cambodian Petanque and Sport Boules Federation was invited by a Thailand’s Mekong River Committee and Ho Chi Minh Sport Committee to be sending its players to participate in the friendship competitions in Thailand and Vietnam in late September 2008.

Through these invitations, he said the Cambodian Petanque and Sport Boules Federation would lead a team of three national Petanque players to attend the Petanque friendship competition in Thailand in September this year and will also prepare other eight national players to attend the competitions in Ho Chi Minh City.

He said that, “I think that this is a good opportunity for our players to play with foreign competitors in order to build up their high ability before attending the SEA Games competitions next year.”

“I hope that due to hard training, disciplined and international competitions experiences in the overseas, the National Cambodian Petanque Players will gain more playing experiences, and will win more medals from the SEA Games Competitions which will be taken place in Laos in 2009 and in future,” he added.