A documentary team from the International Olympic Committee arrived in Phnom Penh yesterday to visit the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia regarding a film about Cambodian taekwondo star Sorn Seavmey.

The Phnom Penh native won a historic place at the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio at a qualification event in the Philippines last month.

Referring to the visit from IOC officials ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event in August, general-secretary of the NOCC Vath Chamroeun told the Post:

“This shows the IOC is impressed with Seavmey’s achievement because Cambodian athletes have never [in 62 years] won a place at an Olympics through qualification before. We only received wild card entries from the IOC for previous editions.

“The IOC team asked us if they could film all aspects of Seavmey life – not only her training sessions but also her everyday life. Seavmey’s ability and strength have seen her emerge as a top Asian athlete. She is a strong taekwondo practitioner who is strongly favoured to get a result at the Rio Olympics,” he added.

The president of the NOCC Thong Kon expressed excitement at the arrival of officials from the IOC to make a documentary on the Cambodian martial arts star.

“The biggest goal for athletes and trainers all over the world is to book a place at an Olympics, but their dreams do not easily come true because they have to go through many obstacles and many rounds of matches,” he said.

The minister added: “In 62 years, it is an amazing result that Cambodia has finally earned its right to join sport’s biggest event.”

The IOC documentary team are due to start work today. Seavmey’s trainer Choi Yong-seok said: “We are ready to coordinate with the team from the IOC. They will finish their work in Cambodia in no more than a week.”

“Seavmey is to fly to South Korea on May 16 for a training camp in which she will aim to hit peak form for when the Olympic Games start in three months’ time,” he added.

Translated by In Sopheng