The National Boxing Championship 2024, which concluded on December 26, was hailed as a major success by officials from the Cambodian Boxing Federation (CBF). They reported advances, both in the number of participants and the skill of the fighters.

Despite this success, the sector still faces challenges in securing sponsorship for professional boxing events from within the private sector in Cambodia.

Buy Sophoan, CBF secretary-general, explained that the 2024 National Boxing Championship, held at the University of Phnom Penh from December 23-26, saw 145 participants from 30 clubs and three ministries take part. 

This represented 50 per cent increase over last year’s championship. In addition, the federation introduced a youth division for the first time and were able to increase the purses paid to successful fighters.

Sophoan described these developments as major steps towards developing future talent for the 2029 Asian Youth Games.

He expressed his satisfaction with the event's success, especially the inaugural youth competition.

“The youth competition this year was a great success, and we saw many young athletes demonstrate excellent skills. If we continue to build these youth teams, we will integrate them into the national youth squad to prepare for the 2025 and 2027 Southeast Asian Games and the 2029 Asian Youth Games,” he said.

This year’s bouts saw the Ministry of Interior's team win 5 gold medals across 12 weight categories, placing them first overall on the medal table.

Two female pugilists take each other on during a national championship bout. CBF

The Ministry of National Defence came second, winning 3 gold and 4 silver medals, followed by the Big Gun Club with 2 gold and 1 silver. 

Kampong Chhnang Provincial Club secured 1 gold and 1 bronze to finish fourth, ahead of Anlong Koom Meanchey Club, with 1 gold.

Looking ahead to the 2025 SEA Games, Sophoan explained that the federation’s focus would be on athletes who have trained specifically in Olympic-style boxing, rather than traditional Kun Khmer exponents or kickboxers, even if they were able to medal at this year’s champs.

“This year’s gathering was primarily focused on Olympic-style boxers, and our strategy is to develop young resources dedicated solely to Olympic boxing,” he added.

He also drew attention to continued success of Cambodian boxing in international competitions. 

For example, the Kingdom’team earned 1 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze medals during the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, ranking them fourth among the 10 participating countries. 

Sophoan noted that the Federation still needs to recruit more athletes to represent Cambodia and plans to send teams abroad for training and competitions, ahead of next year’s games in Thailand.

The medal-winning athletes from the National Boxing Championships 2024 pose with federation leaders, coaches and sponsors at the December 26 closing ceremony. CBF

However, despite these successes, an ongoing issue remains the lack of opportunities for local boxers to compete in private sector-organised events.

The Federation has struggled to convince local promoters to organise professional boxing bouts, with many promoters focusing on Kun Khmer or kickboxing. 

“We have continually requested that professional boxing events be organised on television stations and at other local venues, but opportunities remain limited. As a result, we are seeking sponsorship to arrange more professional boxing matches independently, and we have already organized three events in 2024. In 2025, we plan to stage even more,” said Sophoan.

“Nevertheless, we still urge boxing venue owners in the country to hold regular professional boxing matches, especially on weekends, to help strengthen the athletes' skills. Both Khmer boxing, as part of our national identity, and Olympic-style boxing aim to bring home medals and raise the Cambodian flag on the international stage,” he explained.