Children from 40 primary schools from across the Kingdom took part in the 2017 RHB Cambodian Junior Football Cup on Saturday at Phnom Penh City Center, the site of the former Boeung Kak lake.

Kbal Chroy Primary School became champions in the boys’ event after they beat Prek Sleng Primary School in penalty shootout after the final ended in a 1-1 draw. The girls’ team from Indochina Starfish Foundation beat Pour un Sourire d’Enfant 4-0 in their final to lift the trophy in the girls event.

The one-day football competition attracted close to 320 children, with eight all-girls teams from primary schools in the capital and provinces playing in the event for the first time.

The boys’ and girls’ teams were presented with trophies and gold medals, and each child who participated was given a backpack.

RHB also gave balls to the teams, to match their goal tally in the competition, and over 200 balls were taken away on Saturday, according to Siv Chandary, deputy of marketing and communication at RHB.

This was the third year in which the RHB Indochina Bank organised this popular event, one that aims to empower and inspire Cambodian children to overcome life’s challenges by promoting confidence, optimism and pride through sport.

The event forms part of the RHB Banking Group’s corporate responsibility initiative, which centres on nurturing the next generation, particularly the underprivileged, in communities where the Group has presence.

Cheong Kim Soon, head of Banking Services and Support at RHB told The Post: “I am very thrilled to organise this kind of event. We are looking forward to organising bigger sporting events for children.”

The RHB Cambodia Junior Cup is supported by the Football Federation of Cambodia, Phnom Penh City Center, Revive Cambodia and NagaWorld FC, one of the Kingdom’s leading clubs.

May Tola, the deputy general-secretary of the Football Federation of Cambodia, echoed Lim’s sentiments. “It is heartening to see such healthy participation this year, and it was refreshing to watch the new girls’ teams in action,” he said.

“We would like to commend RHB’s unwavering support in providing this platform for aspiring young Cambodian footballers to be discovered and pave the way for their success in the sport.”