NOCC met with National Sports Federation on sending Cambodian athletes to train in China on July 17. NOCC
In a rallying call to Cambodian sports professionals, Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), emphasised the importance of skill development in the sustainable growth of sports in the nation.
This plea to the nation's sporting fraternity comes in the backdrop of a notable achievement.
Chamroeun, a veteran sports expert, celebrated Cambodia's recent standing as fourth in the 32nd SEA Games, where they hosted and won 81 gold, 74 silver and 129 bronze medals.
This feat, he underscored, was an unprecedented accomplishment for Cambodian athletes. However, he noted with humility that sustaining this level of competition might pose a challenge.
"Our sporting prowess has scaled impressive heights. However, whatever rises, must descend. Hence, our SEA Games results may slightly decline in the forthcoming years," he added.
He stressed the necessity of continued development of professional skills, aiming to prevent drastic downturns after reaching such a zenith.
Chamroeun iterated: "Winning is splendid, but losing within an acceptable range is a part of the game. Hence, we encourage our athletes to foster sustainable growth in our sporting sector, precluding steep falls after significant triumphs".
These remarks were made during a recent meeting with the National Sports Federation (NSF) at the NOCC headquarters. The agenda was to deliberate on the upcoming training schedule in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, preparing for the upcoming Asian Games and the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
Chamroeun also urged sports federations to recommence administrative and technical work following a pause.
He referred to a government directive, quoting Prime Minister Hun Sen: "Everyone must prepare for the 2025 SEA Games and other competitions to maintain our superiority. Hence, expert athletes must focus on sustaining our sporting dominance".
According to the plans, 161 athletes across 12 sports are set to train in China, commencing early August. The intention is to select adept competitors for the Asian Games.
Pon Sok, president of the National Sports Training Centre, spoke about the immediate concerns: "It's vital that we hasten the process of completing the necessary documentation for our 125-day training programme in China, which spans across 12 sports".
"At the same time, we must start preparations for the Asian Games, a platform where performance quality is paramount. Additionally, we'll turn our attention to those sports not encompassed by the training in China, so we can be fully prepared for all aspects of the upcoming Asian Games,” he added.
