The Cambodia women’s basketball team arrived in China last week. PHOTO SUPPLIED
A delegation of 24 Cambodian athletes is attending the 4th Asian Para Games in China’s Hangzhou city. The pivotal regional sporting event kicked off on October 22, and is scheduled to conclude on October 28.
Mao Sokchea, head of the Kingdom’s sporting delegation, was hopeful that the competitors would be able to achieve respectable results at the games, particularly in light of Team Cambodia’s showing at the recently concluded 19th Asian Games. Their results were described as “sub-par” by some pundits.
The team returned with just a single bronze medal, earned by the women of the karate team, in the three person kata demonstration event.
The Para Games athletes departed for China last week in order to prepare themselves for the challenging event, where they will vie for medals in six events.
They include running, swimming, table tennis, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and badminton.
Sokchea explained that the team’s management is eyeing possible podium finishes in the team events, particularly the men’s sitting volleyball and the women’s basketball. He had high hopes that the teams would do their best and obtain good results.
“Among the six sports, we have placed our highest hopes on the team events. We expect our representatives to at least make it to the semi-finals of their competitions. The women’s basketball athletes are particularly likely to place, as they have pedigree – claiming gold and silver medals at the last two ASEAN Para Games,” he said, although he conceded that the level of competition at the Asian Games was likely to be exponentially higher.
The women’s basketball group stages are scheduled to run from October 19 to 25, with a five-a-side format. Each team is due to contest five matches, with the top three teams ascending the podium.
The Cambodian women claimed victory in their first match, defeating Laos in a 65-35 drubbing. They were unable to repeat their success against the Japanese and Chinese sides, and are currently sitting on one victory and two losses. On October 24 they will meet the Iranian women, with a battle against their Thai rivals scheduled for the following day.
The results of their two final matches will determine whether or not they will win glory for the Kingdom.
