Srey Chanthorn shows off the belt, will which will receive an official parade when it touches down in Phnom Penh at 4pm this afternoon. Srey Chanthorn
Srey Chanthorn, president of the Kun Khmer International Fight (KKIF) club, has successfully secured official recognition of the term “Kun Khmer” by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
The first of its kind, a one-off WBC sanctioned Kun Kherm belt has been created to mark this historic occasion. It features the colours of the Cambodian flag, and an image of Angkor Wat, in recognition of the Kingdom being the spiritual home of Kun Khmer.
The belt is set to arrive in Cambodia at 4pm this afternoon, where it will receive a ceremonial parade from Phnom Penh International Airport to the KKIF club in the capital’s Chroy Changvar district.
The occasion is a moment of great pride for Kun Khmer, as WBC belts are globally prestigious and have been held by many world-class fighters.
This milestone represents the first official recognition of Kun Khmer by the WBC, and opens the door for Cambodia to host official title fights under the WBC Kun Khmer category, further promoting the sport to the world.
Chanthorn, who also serves as vice-president of the International Kun Khmer Federation, shared his excitement at the incredible news.
He noted that it was beyond expectations for the WBC to officially recognise the traditional martial art and allow Cambodia to create its own WBC belt.
The first WBC-sanctioned Kun Khmer belt features the national colours of Cambodia and an image of Angkor Wat. KKIF
“I feel like crying because we never imagined this would be possible. This is the dream of every Khmer person — to see the name ‘Kun Khmer’ on a WBC belt, alongside the Cambodian flag and most importantly, the image of Angkor Wat, which represents our national identity,” he explained, in a short video shot on Sunday.
He revealed that the design of the WBC Kun Khmer belt was personally created by WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, who also signed an official document recognising it.
Adding to its significance, the belt’s colours — blue and red — represent the Cambodian national flag.
“These colours symbolise Cambodia because this is the very first model of the belt, uniquely representing our country,” Chanthorn explained.
He noted that future editions of the belt may feature different colours, but this first version is historic as the first WBC belt to include “Kun Khmer”.
Cambodia is preparing to host the first WBC Kun Khmer title fight in Preah Sihanouk province during the upcoming Khmer New Year celebrations.
“I will accompany the belt from the Philippines to Cambodia,” said Chanthorn.
“I will personally bring the WBC Kun Khmer belt back to the Kingdom for all my fellow compatriots. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to my brother, Srey Reachboth, for his invaluable support in making this historic achievement possible,” he added.
