Medals and prize distribution to women Bokator champions (L) and the groups of Bokator participants (R) (Photo: Dané, Koh Santepheap newspaper)
Medals and prize distribution to heavy-weight (70-kilograms) category champions (Photo: Dané, Koh Santepheap newspaper)18/9/2007
Xinhua
Not as many fighters attended this year's Cambodian National Bokator Championship as last year, local media reported.
About 200 fighters, including 16 women from 13 clubs in Phnom Penh and eight provinces attended the tournament, compared to the 286 who showed up to last year's, Hun Samoth, one of the event's chief organizers, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying.
Hok Chheang Kim, Secretary General of the Bokator Federation, said that because the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport helped subsidize this year's competition, fighters were asked to register with local authorities before attending and some had trouble doing so, the newspaper said.
Hok Chheang Kim said he fears attendance may diminish further if bureaucracy becomes too much of an obstacle prior to the competition.
"I am worried that next year there will be more of a decline," he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Bou Chumserey, undersecretary of state for the Education Ministry, said he regrets that the registration paperwork was confusing for some, and he will work to smooth out the process by next year.
Currently, there are bokator clubs in 10 out of the 20 strong provinces of Cambodia and no more than 1,000 people have been found playing the craft.
About 200 fighters, including 16 women from 13 clubs in Phnom Penh and eight provinces attended the tournament, compared to the 286 who showed up to last year's, Hun Samoth, one of the event's chief organizers, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying.
Hok Chheang Kim, Secretary General of the Bokator Federation, said that because the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport helped subsidize this year's competition, fighters were asked to register with local authorities before attending and some had trouble doing so, the newspaper said.
Hok Chheang Kim said he fears attendance may diminish further if bureaucracy becomes too much of an obstacle prior to the competition.
"I am worried that next year there will be more of a decline," he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Bou Chumserey, undersecretary of state for the Education Ministry, said he regrets that the registration paperwork was confusing for some, and he will work to smooth out the process by next year.
Currently, there are bokator clubs in 10 out of the 20 strong provinces of Cambodia and no more than 1,000 people have been found playing the craft.
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