Sou Bali earned bronze at the Asian U23 Wrestling Championships in Kyrgyzstan. BTV
Sou Bali, a Cambodian-Iranian, has made history as the first Cambodian athlete to win a bronze medal at the Asian Under-23 Wrestling Championship (U23). In an electrifying revelation, the Cambodian wrestling delegation, spearheaded by Komeil Ghasemi and Chou So Theara, is set to bring back the accolades from the fifth World Nomad Games to Cambodia on June 20.
Bali, a two-time SEA Games gold medallist representing Cambodia, spectacularly defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Arslanbek Turdubekov 10-0 at the U23 Asian Championship. However, he later lost on points in a nail-biting semi-final match against Turkmenistan’s Zyyamuhammet Saparov.
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Despite this defeat, Bali secured a bronze medal against Mongolian wrestler Munkhbayar Tsogtbayar with a 6-1 victory. Saparov eventually seized the gold medal in the 125 kg freestyle wrestling, defeating Kazakhstan’s Sovet Abylay. This bronze medal victory marked a significant achievement for the Cambodian wrestling team.
“Winning this bronze medal is a significant milestone for the Cambodian wrestling team as we’ve never ranked this high before,” said team coach Chou So Theara.
However, Komeil Ghasemi, former Olympic gold medallist and coach of the Wrestling Federation of Cambodia, voiced his desire for more. He hoped to see Cambodian, particularly Cambodian-Iranian wrestlers, clinch medals at the upcoming Asian Games in China.
So Theara added, “Our Iranian coach was looking beyond this achievement. He has high hopes, particularly for the upcoming Asian Games. He wants our wrestlers to secure a medal for the Cambodian team”.
At the U23 Asian Championship in Kyrgyzstan, the Wrestling Federation of Cambodia sent four athletes, including two women, and two coaches. Among them, only Sou Bali clinched a medal. However, this tournament marked a crucial step towards the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships, according to Casey Barnett, vice president of the federation.
“This championship serves as a preparation step for the Asian Games scheduled later this year in China,” Barnett noted.
“Despite their inexperience, our athletes are still gaining experience in such major events. Their participation in the Asian Championships is a crucial step towards the Asian Games. Despite their previous losses, they strive for better rankings,” So Theara said.
