The Cambodian finswimming team celebrated a successful campaign as they hosted the 1st Southeast Asian Finswimming Championships.

The event, held at Phnom Penh’s National Olympic Stadium pool complex, came to an end on November 5. After five days of intense competition, the Kingdom’s swimmers stood proudly in second place on the medal table.

Competing in 25 events over the course of the championship, the Cambodian athletes achieved an impressive haul of two gold, seven silver and six bronze medals, enough to defeat all but one of the seven participating nations.

A strong Vietnamese squad took the top spot with an outstanding 21 gold medals, 14 silver, and four bronze. Indonesia came third with two gold, three silver, and two bronze, followed closely by Thailand, which won a single silver and 10 bronze medals. Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore were unable to secure any medals at the tournament.

Hem Kiry, secretary-general of the Cambodian Finswimming Federation, expressed immense pride in the team's performance and their successful hosting of the event.

He attributed the smooth execution of the event to the full support of the Cambodian government, led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, and key figures such as Sun Chantol, president of the federation, as well as other key institutions.

“This is a victory for Cambodia as a whole. Without the support of the government, we would not have been able to organise such an event. We planned thoroughly and worked in cooperation with relevant institutions, ensuring safety and excellent hospitality, which attracted the praise of all participating athletes,” he said.

Kiry also took pride in the measurable development of the Cambodian team, noting that they finished in 4th place in the 2023 SEA Games, behind Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, with just two gold, one silver and four bronze medals. 

Hem Kiri wears gold, silver and bronze medals at the closing ceremony of the 2024 ASEAN Swimming Championships on Tuesday. Photo by Chhon Nonn

“We retained our gold medal count and increased our silver and bronze medals, which allowed us to surpass Indonesia and Thailand. This is a positive achievement that we’re happy to accept,” he added.

Despite this achievement, Kiry emphasised the need for further development, especially in comparison to stronger nations.

“We must continue to strengthen our team, particularly to compete with Vietnam, which is currently the regional leader in finswimming. Our goal is to win even more golds in future competitions,” he explained.

One standout performer was Kaing Muynin, a gold medallist at the 2023 SEA Games. Muynin secured two golds, three silvers, and a bronze at the championship and was recognized as the best female athlete of the event. 

Kiry expressed his confidence in her future potential.

“Muynin performed excellently, earning a high number of medals and points. The organising committee awarded her the 'Best Female Athlete' title. We expect even better results in the future, as long as we stay committed and well-prepared,” he said.

Muynin herself expressed her joy after the event.

“I'm thrilled to have won so many medals and received the award for best female athlete at this championship. However, I didn’t perform as well in the 200m and 400m Bi-Fin events, where I had previously won gold at the 2023 SEA Games,” she noted.

“After the SEA Games, I had to focus on my grade 12 studies, which affected my training. Nevertheless, I’m happy with my performance and the balance of my achievements in both sports and academics,” she explained.

The men's final at the 1st Southeast Asian Finswimming Championships, held at the National Olympic Stadium on November 5. Chhorn Norn

Overall, Cambodia’s first-time hosting of the Southeast Asian Finswimming Championship was deemed a success. 

The federation was proud to host a successful tournament and is looking forward to the further growth of the sport, with the goal of continuing to improve on their medal tally in future competitions.