The Cambodian team pose for a photograph at Phnom Penh International Airport ahead of their departure for the first ever Kickboxing World Cup. Supplied
The Cambodian Kickboxing Federation (CKF) has sent a team of 13 athletes — both male and female — to the inaugural Kickboxing World Cup 2025, which is taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. This major event has drawn over 1,000 athletes from 52 countries around the world.
Heng Sokhorn, CKF president, is leading the Cambodian delegation. He noted that the team’s participation in the World Cup in Thailand has been made possible with the support and approval of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC).
Fighters from the Kingdom will compete in three disciplines, with the tournament running until April 12.
Sokhorn explained that the global-level competition is a key opportunity for Cambodian athletes to gain experience and absorb new techniques, which will help them prepare for the 33rd SEA Games, which will also be held in Thailand, at the end of the year.
“Participating in the Kickboxing World Cup is about gaining experience and exchanging techniques. It’s also about refining our athletes’ readiness ahead of the SEA Games. This helps us measure their true ability and understand exactly where they stand before the SEA Games arrives,” he told the media at Phnom Penh International Airport, ahead of the team’s departure on Monday.
“The athletes we’ve selected to compete are all SEA Games hopefuls. We’re confident they’ll perform well, especially since we already had great success hosting the Asian Kickboxing Championships in 2024,” he added.
During the Asian champs, held in the Kingdom last October, the Cambodian team claimed 9 gold, 4 silver and 28 bronze medals, finishing 4th overall on the medal table.
Uzbekistan took first place with 20 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze; Kazakhstan placed second with 18 gold, 12 silver and 7 bronze; while Vietnam came third with 10 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze.
Sokhorn was cautious not to overestimate the team’s chances at the world cup.
“We’re certainly concerned about countries with greater resources, especially Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, who have very strong teams. But we’re not afraid to compete with them,” he shared.
