Khek Ravy (R), president of the Cambodian Football Federation and a relative of Prince Ranariddh, made the announcement to the Cambodian national football team on the eve of the Southeast Asian Games in Manila late last year, that the National Olympic Committee had decided to send a private team instead of the Cambodian national team. (Photo AFP).The Olympic Committee headed by Prince Ranariddh had denied the participation of several athlete groups such as the bodybuilding team which cannot afford $3,000 for airfare to attend the game. Instead, newspapers in the Philippines have published about lavish dinners offered by the Prince and his entourage to show off "princess" Ouk Phalla, his young mistress (read article below).
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
PM: Investigate Spending by Olympic Panel
By Yun Samean
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday ordered the National Olympic Committee to account for its expenditures during the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, accusing the body, which is headed by Prince Norodom Ranariddh, of excessive spending during the event.
Hun Sen accused the entourage that accompanied the Cambodian athletes to the Philippines of flying first-class and staying in five-star hotels. The entourage, whose members he did not name, outnumbered the actual sportsmen, Hun Sen said.
The prime minister also announced that he has cancelled Cambodia's plans to host the SEA Games in 2011, and will no longer fund the national committee.
"I am disappointed that there were fewer athletes than people accompanying [them to Manila]," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh.
"'I cannot accept it," he said. "Donors, who gave money to the National Olympic Committee, asked me because they are suspicious about the expenditures."
Hun Sen said he has asked the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to establish how much of $25,000 provided by the ministry for the trip was spent, and that the Olympic committee must report back to him on some $1 million that he had raised for it. "Where is the money? How much did they spend?" he demanded.
As president of the committee, Prince Ranariddh attended the Manila SEA Games, which were held in late November and early December, along with Prince Norodom Chakrapong and Funcinpec Senator Mech Somaly.
Meas Sarin, the committee's secretary-general, said he did not know how much money Prince Ranariddh spent. "Prince Norodom Ranariddh controlled the money," he said.
Prince Chakrapong said Prince Ranariddh is working out the expenditures and will forward the information to Hun Sen.
Pok Than, Funcinpec secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, said Prince Ranariddh always orders his staff to keep records of his spending.
Warning Finance Minister Keat Chhon that he could be fired if his ministry provides any money to the committee, Hun Sen said that he has informed the secretary-general of the SEA Games that the 2011 event will not be held in Cambodia. "We should not use our limited resources for what is not necessary. We can wait until 2020 or 2030, it is not too late," he said.
He also weighed in on the decision to replace the national football team with Khemara, the team Prince Ranariddh supports, at the last minute to represent Cambodia at the SEA games.
"[They] caused trouble. The national team they didn't allow to play, but they allowed the non-national team," he said of Khemara.
Khek Ravy, president of the Cambodian Football Federation and a relative of Prince Ranariddh, said he was not disappointed by the cancellation, as building a new national stadium for the 2011 games would have been expensive. "It would have affected the national budget" Khek Ravy said.
Bodybuilders Unable To Compete in SEA Games
BY ETHAN PLAUT
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Unless money appears today, the Cambodian national bodybuilding team will be unable to send any competitors to the Southeast Asian Games in Manila by the Thursday deadline, officials said Tuesday.
"Now I think that it's a little bit late," said Cambodian Bodybuilding Federation Secretary-General Sok Sambo. "We are ready to compete but we cannot go."
Pleas to the National Olympic Committee for funding were ignored, attempts to secure sponsorship from Clark Hatch Fitness Center went awry, and David Michael, a US national who funded September’s national bodybuilding competition – promising that winners would go to the SEA games-has left the country, officials said.
The team needs funding for airline tickets, food and lodgings.
"It seems nobody is coming to their rescue," South East Asian Body Building Federation President Douglas Latchford said from Bangkok. "It's going to be too late now, which is going to be a shame."
Sok Sambo said that despite his and his team's disappointment, the competitors are still working hard for future events, including an informal competition with Thailand's team in Siem Reap on Jan 14.
Cambodia and Thailand also share one champion competitor: Thai national Sitthi Charoenrih – born to a Thai mother and Cambodian father-who won a silver medal in the 59th Men's World Bodybuilding Championships in Shanghai in recent days, Latchford said.
Sithi Charoenrith has previously taken second place in the 80 kg weight class at two Mr. Universe championships in 2003 and 2004, as well as winning silver in the Asian Championship and the Mr. Thailand title four years running.
Current Mr. Cambodia title-holder Dom Sarun was still holding out hope that he might go to the SEA Games, but he was resigned to the probability that he won't be able to bring this international prize home.
"I am still interested, but if I cannot find a sponsor it's okay," Dom Sarun said. "I compete for the Cambodian people, not just for myself ... The only thing I want to do is make Cambodia proud."
Hun Sen accused the entourage that accompanied the Cambodian athletes to the Philippines of flying first-class and staying in five-star hotels. The entourage, whose members he did not name, outnumbered the actual sportsmen, Hun Sen said.
The prime minister also announced that he has cancelled Cambodia's plans to host the SEA Games in 2011, and will no longer fund the national committee.
"I am disappointed that there were fewer athletes than people accompanying [them to Manila]," Hun Sen said at a graduation ceremony at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh.
"'I cannot accept it," he said. "Donors, who gave money to the National Olympic Committee, asked me because they are suspicious about the expenditures."
Hun Sen said he has asked the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to establish how much of $25,000 provided by the ministry for the trip was spent, and that the Olympic committee must report back to him on some $1 million that he had raised for it. "Where is the money? How much did they spend?" he demanded.
As president of the committee, Prince Ranariddh attended the Manila SEA Games, which were held in late November and early December, along with Prince Norodom Chakrapong and Funcinpec Senator Mech Somaly.
Meas Sarin, the committee's secretary-general, said he did not know how much money Prince Ranariddh spent. "Prince Norodom Ranariddh controlled the money," he said.
Prince Chakrapong said Prince Ranariddh is working out the expenditures and will forward the information to Hun Sen.
Pok Than, Funcinpec secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, said Prince Ranariddh always orders his staff to keep records of his spending.
Warning Finance Minister Keat Chhon that he could be fired if his ministry provides any money to the committee, Hun Sen said that he has informed the secretary-general of the SEA Games that the 2011 event will not be held in Cambodia. "We should not use our limited resources for what is not necessary. We can wait until 2020 or 2030, it is not too late," he said.
He also weighed in on the decision to replace the national football team with Khemara, the team Prince Ranariddh supports, at the last minute to represent Cambodia at the SEA games.
"[They] caused trouble. The national team they didn't allow to play, but they allowed the non-national team," he said of Khemara.
Khek Ravy, president of the Cambodian Football Federation and a relative of Prince Ranariddh, said he was not disappointed by the cancellation, as building a new national stadium for the 2011 games would have been expensive. "It would have affected the national budget" Khek Ravy said.
# # #
The following is an article from the Cambodia Daily dated November 29, 2005, describing the Cambodian bodybuilding team having a hard time raising $3,000 for airfare to attend the SEA Games. At the end, to the great chagrin of the team, it was not able to attend the competition in Manila.
Bodybuilders Unable To Compete in SEA Games
BY ETHAN PLAUT
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Unless money appears today, the Cambodian national bodybuilding team will be unable to send any competitors to the Southeast Asian Games in Manila by the Thursday deadline, officials said Tuesday.
"Now I think that it's a little bit late," said Cambodian Bodybuilding Federation Secretary-General Sok Sambo. "We are ready to compete but we cannot go."
Pleas to the National Olympic Committee for funding were ignored, attempts to secure sponsorship from Clark Hatch Fitness Center went awry, and David Michael, a US national who funded September’s national bodybuilding competition – promising that winners would go to the SEA games-has left the country, officials said.
The team needs funding for airline tickets, food and lodgings.
"It seems nobody is coming to their rescue," South East Asian Body Building Federation President Douglas Latchford said from Bangkok. "It's going to be too late now, which is going to be a shame."
Sok Sambo said that despite his and his team's disappointment, the competitors are still working hard for future events, including an informal competition with Thailand's team in Siem Reap on Jan 14.
Cambodia and Thailand also share one champion competitor: Thai national Sitthi Charoenrih – born to a Thai mother and Cambodian father-who won a silver medal in the 59th Men's World Bodybuilding Championships in Shanghai in recent days, Latchford said.
Sithi Charoenrith has previously taken second place in the 80 kg weight class at two Mr. Universe championships in 2003 and 2004, as well as winning silver in the Asian Championship and the Mr. Thailand title four years running.
Current Mr. Cambodia title-holder Dom Sarun was still holding out hope that he might go to the SEA Games, but he was resigned to the probability that he won't be able to bring this international prize home.
"I am still interested, but if I cannot find a sponsor it's okay," Dom Sarun said. "I compete for the Cambodian people, not just for myself ... The only thing I want to do is make Cambodia proud."
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