The Cambodian national women’s esports team – known as the Angkor Warriors – made history by bringing home silver from the 16th IESF World E-Sports Championship 2024, held in Saudi Arabia. 

The team, which competed in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang category, proudly returned to Cambodia on the morning of November 21.

Although the Angkor Warriors did not win the gold medal, their hard-won achievement of securing silver was hailed as a historic moment by the Electronic Sports Federation of Cambodia (EFC). 

This marked the first time a team from the Kingdom advanced to the finals of the world championship, a huge milestone for the women. It followed their success in the ASEAN regional qualifiers, where they defeated teams from Laos, Brunei and the Philippines, though they were ultimately defeated by the Indonesian women's team.

Lun Samedy, EFC secretary-general, spoke to the waiting media at Phnom Penh International Airport as the team returned.

“This is the first time our team has competed in the world championship, and reaching second place is an incredible achievement. We went through several rounds of intense competition, and the team showed exceptional resilience,” he said.

The final round of the IESF championship, held from November 16-20, saw participation from 49 countries. The Angkor Warriors secured second place in Pool B after defeating teams from Nepal, Argentina, Mongolia and Colombia, but losing to Ukraine, who finished first in the group. Nepal took third place.

This set up a match between Cambodia and Indonesia, who ranked first in Pool A, in the Upper Bracket Semifinal, while Ukraine and Egypt competed in the same round. The host country, Saudi Arabia, ranked third in Pool A, was placed in the lower bracket, where they awaited the losers of the upper bracket matches.

In the Upper Bracket, Cambodia lost to Indonesia 2-0, and Ukraine was defeated by Egypt 2-0. This led Indonesia and Egypt to the Upper Bracket Final, while Cambodia and Ukraine moved to the lower bracket, where they met Nepal and Saudi Arabia.

In the lower bracket, Cambodia triumphed over Saudi Arabia 2-1, and Ukraine defeated Nepal 2-0, leading both teams to face off again in the Lower Bracket Semifinal.

In their rematch, Cambodia took the Ukrainian women down 2-0, advancing to a final against Egypt, who had lost to Indonesia. The Angkor Warriors beat their Egyptian counterparts 2-1, securing a spot in the Grand Final.

However, despite their best efforts, they were ultimately defeated by Indonesia, with the scoreline reading 2-0. 

Along with silver medals, Cambodia earned a $25,000 cash prize, while Indonesia, the gold medallists, took home $50,000. Egypt, the bronze medallists, received $15,000. Fourth-placed Ukraine was awarded $10,000.

Chhay Lim Kenary, captain of the Angkor Warriors, expressed satisfaction with the team's performance.

“We initially hoped for a top three finish, but to end up in second place is a huge achievement. I am proud of my team's fighting spirit. Even when we fell to the lower bracket, we pushed hard and managed to fight our way to the grand final,” she said.

She acknowledged the gap in experience between the Cambodian team and Indonesia, which consistently outperformed the women from the Kingdom in both the ASEAN regional qualifiers and the World Championship upper bracket matches and Grand Final.

Samedy shared the EFC’s plans to strengthen the women’s team, in preparation for the 33rd SEA Games, which will be held next year in Thailand. The event will feature both men's and women's Mobile Legends competitions. 

He noted that other ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, already have well-established global rankings, but Cambodia's second-place finish showed the potential for future success.

“We must continue to improve. Our club will increase training and the federation will organise more tournaments to help our players refine their skills and prepare for the next big competition,” he added.