The opening ceremony of the Cambodia People-to-People Exchange Cup Amateur Badminton Competition was held at Norea Badminton Club in Phnom Penh at 8am on June 29.

Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia Chen Cong, secretary of state at the Ministry of Tourism of Prak Phannara, acting director-general of sport at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport Pon Sok, director-general of the Bureau of Sports Events Planning and Organising Hout Seng Try and other leading guests attended the event.

Chen Cong, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, saying that the spirit of hard work, cooperation and meeting challenges together embodied in sports is a valuable asset shared by humans and an important bond linking the peoples of China and Cambodia.

He recalled that in 2023, under the framework of sports exchange and cooperation between the two nations, 10 Cambodian badminton players won gold medals in the badminton mixed team competition for the first time at the SEA Games after eight-months of training in the city of Nanning in China’s Guangxi Province.

He said that China is sincerely happy for the achievements made by Cambodian athletes and looks forward to more gratifying achievements in sports exchange and cooperation between the two countries. In July, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games will be opened in Paris, France. Both China and Cambodia will send outstanding athletes to participate in the games, he said, wishing the athletes of both countries excellent results.

Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra pointed out in his speech that under the leadership of Cambodia and China, the two countries have built a comprehensive strategic partnership and further strengthened cultural exchange and cooperation in the field of sports. 

“[During] the 2024 China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchange, I hope to encourage everyone to participate in sports events and vigorously promote badminton, football and other activities in Cambodia,” he said. “I would also like to express my appreciation and gratitude to the organiser, Toutiao (Cambodia), and the relevant departments supporting the event.”

Prak Phannara, secretary of state at the tourism ministry, said that more than 200 Cambodian and Chinese athletes participated in the June 29 event.

He noted this not only strengthens the friendship between the two peoples but also promotes the development of local tourism and sports, especially in the context of the 2024 China-Cambodia Year of People-to-People Exchange.

Phannara said creating a healthy and happy living atmosphere through diversified sports and tourism experiences will help Cambodia develop into a "safe, beautiful and green" tourism destination.

Han Li, general manager of Koh Thmey Technology Co Ltd, said that badminton is not only a sport, but also a bridge connecting different cultures.

Coinciding with the Year of People-to-People Exchange between China and Cambodia, she said the competition is not only a showcase of sporting matches, but also an important moment of cultural exchange between the two countries.

She sincerely thanked all parties for their strong support and looked forward to the competition to further strengthen the cooperation between China and Cambodia.

With the end of the opening ceremony, the starting horn sounded and the players were full of spirit and morale. The games went smoothly and the players showed their superb skills and good spirit.

Sports are a "universal language" that transcends national borders and promotes people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The competition was hosted by Koh Thmey Technology, and more than 100 participating teams from China and Cambodia gathered together to compare their skills. The event not only enhanced friendship and mutual trust between the Chinese and Cambodian people, but also injected new vitality into the sports exchange and cooperation between the two countries, enriching the humanistic spirit of the 2024 China-Cambodia Year of People-to-people Exchange in the field of sports.

Thank you to our event sponsors and media partners

In addition, we would like to express special thanks to our sponsors, E-GetS, JMC Jiangling Motors (Cambodia), Cambodia ZTO, Midea (Cambodia), HONOR, badminton brand VICTOR, One Road Group (Cambodia), P2F Phnom Penh Fresh Express Co Ltd, the Associate Cambodia Chinese Youth Chamber of Commerce, EAU KULEN Natural Mineral Water and Phnom Penh New Hong En Hospital for their strong support.

In addition, special thanks to our media partners including 58cam.com, EAC News, Dap News, Troryorng, Phnom Penh Post, Post Khmer, SR Digital Media and Khmernote for their publicity support.