MOU signing between Sar Sokha and Eric Tanguy on January 17. The French Embassy in Cambodia
The Volleyball Federation of Cambodia (VFC) and their French counterpart FFVolley have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) committing to nine objectives aimed at mutually enhancing the development of the sport in both countries, with a particular focus on further improving Cambodian volleyball.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Sokha, who also leads the VFC, finalised the MoU with Eric Tanguy, the head of FFVolley, on the evening of January 17 at the National Training Centre in the National Olympic Stadium.
Sokha expressed his gratitude and satisfaction to Tanguy for the agreement, highlighting its potential to significantly advance Cambodian volleyball.
“Now that we have signed the MoU to share the capabilities and expertise of technical officials, coaches and players, male and female volleyball players will train together in Cambodia and France. I believe the MoU will further enhance the Cambodian volleyball sector,” he said.
He noted the impressive growth of Cambodian volleyball, evidenced by the national team’s recent achievements: bronze medals at the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam in 2022 and silver medals at the 32nd SEA Games, hosted by Cambodia in 2023.
Sokha noted the successful establishment of the Techo Volleyball Cambodia League, the country’s first, and an ongoing career league at the National Olympic Stadium, which welcomes foreign players.
“We have noticed that the Cambodian volleyball sector is progressing well, particularly the domestic league competition, which has attracted considerable attention. The participation of foreign players in Cambodia marks another significant accomplishment of the VFC,” he said.
Tanguy highlighted that Cambodia is the first country in Southeast Asia and the second in Asia after Japan, to sign an MoU with FFVolley.
He thanked the VFC leadership for organising international friendly matches between the French U19 team and the Cambodian team in February 2023, noting the French team’s status as world U19 champions.
“Although the game is the same, the methods and techniques between European and Asian volleyball differ,” he noted.
“Therefore, I believe the cooperation will enable us to learn from each other and grow together, as Cambodian volleyball is currently developing. The MoU between our two countries promises to be an excellent partnership for building a shared future,” he added.
The MoU outlines nine key objectives: firstly, to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, skills and expertise among coaches and players, both male and female; secondly, to organise study trips for coaches and players of both genders; thirdly, to execute projects aimed at developing both volleyball and beach volleyball, in partnership with various stakeholders including state actors, national Olympic committees, state authorities, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and European and international volleyball federations.
Other objectives include: exchanging experiences and identifying best practices in three areas: the training of players, coaches, leaders and referees, technical research and development (encompassing areas such as statistics, analytic videos and sports equipment) and for preparation in Olympic events.
The last three goals of MoU are: enabling Cambodia to send coaches, managers and players to France for advanced training in physical fitness, tactics, techniques and strategies; allowing FFVolley to send its coaches to Cambodia to train technical instructors and players of the VFC as needed; and finally, organising international friendly matches between Cambodia and France to foster goodwill and competitive spirit.
According to the ministry, the MoU has a duration of two years and is set to expire in January 2026.
“On the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics, France is strengthening its sports diplomacy. FFvolley and the CVF signed a partnership to develop France-Cambodia cooperation in the field of volleyball,” the French embassy in Cambodia stated.
