The annual national karate championship, which ran from February 2-5, came to an end after four days of fierce competition.
Twenty one clubs took part in the national tournament this year. The Ministry of National Defence Club collected the highest number of medals and claimed victory at the competition.
They earned 18 medals, ten gold, four silver and four bronze. Athlete’s from the Ministry of Economy and Finance took second place with 14 medals, seven gold, one silver and six bronze.
Hanuman Karate-Do Club claimed third, with six gold, 10 silver and seven bronze medals.
Samedi Sivathana, third vice-president of the Southeast Asia Karate Federation, and vice-president of the Cambodia Karate Federation, congratulated the winners on their achievements.
He remarked on their progress and predicted excellent results at the upcoming SEA Games.
“I encourage all of you to keep up your efforts and maintain the composure of sportsmanship. Through your efforts, you will raise the profile of yourselves, your clubs and the image of the Kingdom,” he told the assembled athletes at the closing ceremony of the championship.
Panha Votey, who claimed gold in the performance event, said she was proud that her commitment to her training regime had led her to victory.
“Although my club did not win the team’s competition, I was pleased with my performance, as there was some tough competition this year,” she added
The Paragon University student noted that the ability of her competitors has improved, which made the scoring a lot closer than in recent years.
“I was pleased to see so many strong competitors, because it means we have a shot at doing really well at our home games in May,” she continued.
The championships were held at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Twenty-one clubs vied for the 117 medals on offer across all categories.
