Cambodia’s Para Games team have unfortunately completed their campaign at the 4th Asian Para Games in China empty handed, with none of the Kingdom’s 24 athletes able to find a path to the podium against stiff competition from around the wider region.
The 2022 Asian Para Games were held from October 22 to 28 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, following Covid-19 related delays.
Cambodia sent 24 athletes to compete in six sports: running, swimming, table tennis, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and badminton.
Swimmer Kho Koy was the only member of Team Cambodia who qualified for the final round of his event – the 100m men’s breastroke-SB6, but failed to make the podium, with his performance placing him fifth in the final race. Athletes from the Chinese hosts swept the medal positions in the event.
China topped the table with 521 medals, including 214 golds, followed by Japan with 150, 42 of them gold. Iran ranked third, with 131 medals, including 44 table topping performances.
Nevertheless, Team Cambodia was not the only team that was unable to bag a single medal, with 16 of the 44 participating nations returning home empty handed. The sporting federations of 45 countries were originally registered, but noticeably absent were the North Korean team, who were sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The Kingdom’s competitors were also unable to secure podium positions in the previous two Asian Para Games.
Indonesia topped the results for ASEAN bloc members, with an outstanding haul of 95 medals, 29 of them gold. This placed them sixth overall on the medal table.