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| Triumph through adversity ... Vannara Be has risen from grape farming to gold medal-hunting. (Getty Images) |
By Jano Gibson in Delhi
ABC Grandstand Sport (Australia)
As a little boy, Vannara Be grew up hearing about the torture inflicted on his relatives by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Two of his father's siblings were murdered, his grandmother lost an eye and his father was left with severe psychological mental scars.
But almost 30 years since that reign of terror, 22-year-old Be has become the first Cambodian-born competitor to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games.
The diminutive weightlifter, who lived with his parents and three siblings on the outskirts of Phnom Penh until he was 10, only received his Australian citizenship late last year.
Not until today, at a press conference in Delhi, did he learn he was the first Cambodian to wear the green and gold.
"I just found out today," he said.
"It's pretty nervous. Suddenly you are representing your country."
His family's first link to Australia came through one of his uncles, who fled to the country on a boat in the 1980s.
His uncle was granted refugee status and eventually persuaded Be's father to come to Australia for a short work trip at a farm in Victoria.
The owner of the farm offered to sponsor him to return on a working visa.
The whole family arrived in Australia in 1998, but it was only last November that Be received his citizenship.
He said he took up weightlifting to get out of school and had never really had the ambition to represent Australia.
"As a little kid you go to school. To get out of school you go play different sports," he said.
Be, who will be competing in the 62-kilogram weightlifting competition, said he can hoist 148 kilograms.
He credited some of his physical strength to his early days working with his mother in her Cambodian shop and later with his father on the farm.
"During picking season you carry weights around, like grapes in a bucket," he said.
"I'm not too sure where I get my strength from.
"Maybe from there, picking grapes."
11 comments:
How about that? Huray to Australia and Cambodia!
Congradulation to you young BE !
you are a very lucky young man.
Australia is a wonderful and unique
country, you was chose to represent thier country without prejudice.
don't forget to look back to your birth place.
remember to those who have finished
thier universities/ colleges in Cambodia and they can only get
the job as waiter in eatery places.
because they have no relative work in the HUN's government.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU. from Khmer USA
khmer people and country is resilient. god bless cambodia and all khmer people.
i noted many western countries like america, australia, the eu, etc often take or encourage other national origin to represent them in sports like tennis, weight lifting, ice skating, karate, etc; i think cambodia should adopt that worldly, open-minded concept from the western society as well. may god guide bless cambodia and khmer people forever. amen!
Best wishes to you mate… got GOLD mate..
You put the seed into the right soil, the result here he is.
I wander what would be like if he was in Cambodia. Perhaps ZIP ZERO.
That the reason is Cambodia is the best place to have a good future for youth in the wholewide world??????????
11:11Pm! But first you have to help the people in the country first don't robe them of their land, their right, and their property!!!!!
May youmotherfucker ah Hun xen and ah vietnamese choy maray respect human!!!!!
May lightning strike motherfuckers!
ooh, good looking khmer man!
12:10 --- are you on drug? be sure you try to understand what people are trying to talk about here.
God is dead.
He was dead since the beginning.
There is no God!
Count on yourself first!
7:26! after count ! you have 3 legs! You godles son of a bitch!
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