An 11-strong Cambodian Hapkido team is currently in Indonesia, preparing for the 2025 Southeast Asia Hapkido Championship, held from June 14 to 15. The team is determined to achieve strong results for the Kingdom, even though the competition rules have become more challenging.

Kong Chanthyna, secretary-general of the Cambodian Hapkido Federation (CHF), is leading the delegation. He confirmed that the 11 athletes – 4 of them women – are prepared, and are hoping to obain good results.

“Our male and female athletes are technically ready for the SEA championship. We’ve observed notable improvements in their development, and there have been no issues. They are fully committed to giving their best in order to bring home a good result for our country,” he told the media, ahead of the team’s June 9 departure.

This marks the second time the CHF has raised its own funds to send athletes to an international competition. At the World I.H.F. Hapkido Championship 2024 in Thailand, the Cambodian team achieved remarkable success, winning 12 gold, 13 silver, and 15 bronze medals — a total of 40 medals.

However, rules changes at the Indonesian competition mean the 10 national teams taking part may face additional difficulties.

The team medalled 40 times at the World I.H.F. Hapkido Championship 2024 in Thailand, although expectations have been tampered by rule changes. NOCC

Chanthyna, who also serves as head coach, explained that the International Hapkido Federation and the host nation Indonesia have introduced stricter competition rules. All participating countries must now follow a single unified technical standard, making it difficult for teams to adapt their training effectively in time.

“At the competition in Thailand, each country was allowed to prepare and use their own techniques. But this time, they are set by the international federation and the host country. We must follow their methods. Naturally, when we have to train in someone else's system, we can't perform at the same level, especially when the host provided the official techniques with limited preparation time,” he said.

Nevertheless, he noted that the Cambodian athletes have been training hard to meet these new requirements, with two training sessions per day, sometimes finishing as late as 9pm.

“They are preparing specifically for each discipline. Unlike the World Championship in Thailand, where athletes could compete freely in multiple disciplines, in this event, each athlete is limited to only three disciplines,” he said.

“At the international level, we’re still relatively new — this is only our second time competing. Despite this, our athletes are fully committed to giving their all to achieve strong results for the nation and for our federation,” he added.

A Cambodian Hapkido delegation is in Indonesia to participate in the SEA Hapkido Championship in Indonesia. Photo by NOCC

Phin Munnyrath, who previously claimed a silver and two bronzes at the Thai championship, acknowledged that it has been challenging to train under the host nation’s rules, especially given the short time frame.

 However, he expressed confidence and excitement about competing on an international level against strong countries from around the region, particularly Indonesia.

“We’re more hopeful than before, as we already have some experience from competing in Thailand. This time, we aim to do even better. Being given the opportunity to join again is truly amazing. It’s a chance to experience real Hapkido and compete with real opponents — to measure our true ability against other countries, especially Indonesia, which has a very strong presence in the sport,” he said.