The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia will hold the Olympic Council of Asia’s educational enterprise – the Fun Run & Learn 2013 – starting from 6am this Sunday at Diamond Island.

Cambodia joins a list of 25 OCA member countries launching the run to raise awareness of health, hygiene and environmental issues.

Designed to encourage participants of all ages and athletic abilities, the run features two courses – 3km and 5km – for men, women and children. There are no registration charges.

“We are expecting around 1,500 runners including nearly 1,000 students and scores of foreigners and locals,” NOCC secretary general Vath Chamroeun said during a media conference yesterday.

Cambodia Coca Cola has stepped in as the main sponsor of the event as part of the multinational company’s firm commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Co-sponsors include mobile service providers Smart, soft drink brand Caam Caam, NVC Lighting, Kaspersky Lab and Canadia Bank Plc.

“We are proud to be associated with the NOCC for an event of such huge social significance,” Cambodia Coca Cola’s public affairs and communications manager Lim Lina told the Post.

Meanwhile, a meeting involving 10 OCA officials and members to discuss two specific issues will be convened next Monday in the Cambodian capital.

A field expert on doping control and prevention has been arranged by the OCA to address the meeting, at the end of which all Cambodian national athletes aged under 25 will be required to go through a counselling session on prevention and protection against doping practices.

“It will be very useful and informative for our young athletes to be aware of the darker side and to drive them away from such undesirable means of excelling in the field of sports,” Chamroeun said.

The meeting will name one student from among scores shortlisted from many international schools in Cambodia as the student reporter the OCA will sponsor to attend the 2014 Asian Games in the South Korean city of Incheon.

The nominee will also serve as Cambodia’s Young Ambassador to the biggest multi-discipline event in the world after the Olympics.

Soon after the OCA meeting, the spotlight will move to the first day of the NOCC’s annual General Assembly, while the concluding day on October 22 will mark the elections to choose a new set of office-bearers for the Kingdom’s prime sports body.

During the opening day’s formal sessions, a Malaysian expert will help Cambodia draw up a road map leading to a master plan towards its ambitious goal of playing host to the 2023 Southeast Asian Games.

Presentations by the Ministry of Education and the NOCC will also be part of the day’s proceedings.

Discussions on the SEA Games proposal are likely to be extended to the morning session on the second and final day as well.