Turnout for Cambodian national bokator championship declines

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.

Cambodia concludes 2nd National Bokator Championship

September 15, 2007

Cambodia here on Friday concluded the matches of its second National Bokator Championship, which aims to highlight the indigenous Khmer martial art.

More than 200 fighters from all over the country have competed for gold, silver and bronze medals at three levels including 70 kg, 65 kg and 60 kg of weight, at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh from Tuesday to Friday.

Meanwhile, there were also two performing martial art competitions, including martial art with long stick for men and martial art with short stick for woman.

Bo Chum Sary, under-secretary of state of the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, presided over the closing ceremony on Friday and handed over the gold medal to San Sovanara, the winner of the level of 70 kg.

Bo Chum Sary said that this traditional martial art of Cambodia, bokator, is the heritage from their ancestors which carved on the wall of Angkor temples.

The bokator martial art was used in the war in the past and Cambodian people always fought to find the strongest person in village while they were holding traditional ceremonies after the rice harvest, he said.

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.

Source: Xinhua

Cambodia launches 2nd National Bokator Championship

Bokator elbow (Photo by Antonio Graceffo)

September 11, 2007

Cambodia Tuesday kicked off the matches of its second National Bokator Championship to highlight the indigenous Khmer martial art.

More than 200 fighters from all over the country will compete for golden, silver and bronze medals at various level at the Olympic Stadium from Tuesday to Friday.

On Tuesday, or the first match day, there are eight fighting in all, San Kim Sean, one of the coaches in field, told Xinhua.

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.

Source: Xinhua