Cambodian wrestlers collected medals from Southeast Asia Wrestling Championship held recently in Phnom Penh. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Cambodia successfully ended the hosting of the Southeast Asia Wrestling Championship 2023, with its wrestlers claiming 48 medals.
The organisation of the event drew widespread international praise, with many nations calling for the Kingdom to host the championship again next year.
A total of 275 wrestlers from seven countries entered the games, which began on December 6 and came to an end on December 9.
Cambodian athletes earned four gold, 27 silver and 17 bronze medals, more than doubling their medal count from last year’s competition. In 2022, which the Kingdom also hosted, Team Cambodia grabbed three gold, three silvers and 13 bronzes.
The 48 medals helped Cambodia rank No 2 on the medal table behind Vietnam, which claimed 69 gold, 14 silver and one bronze. Thailand took third place, with three gold, nine silver and six bronze. The Philippines took fourth place, wining one gold, 14 silver and 10 bronze, followed by Singapore, with a single gold, seven silver and five bronze. Indonesia, with five silver and 11 bronze, and Laos, with one silver and one bronze, placed sixth and seventh on the medal tally respectively.
Casey Barnett, vice-president of the Wrestling Federation of Cambodia (WFC), noted after the closing ceremony of the tournament that Cambodian wrestlers now have the ability and quality to compete at the regional level.
He said some competitors who had previously won bronze at last year’s championship – or the 32nd SEA Games in May – were now stepping up on the podium and claiming silver.
“Our haul of 48 medals shattered our previous record of 19 at the Southeast Asia Wrestling Championship 2022. It is clear that the quality and the ability of our athletes have increased a lot. The Cambodian wrestling team have been training hard, both domestically and in China, since the 2023 SEA Games,” he added.
He explained that the intense training was part of the WFC’s goal to enhance their quality, in preparation for competing at the 33rd SEA Game 2025 in Thailand, as well as the 5th Asian Youth Games, which Cambodia will host in 2029.
“We hosted the games smoothly and adhered to international standards. We received widespread acclaim from representatives of the International Wrestling Federation and International Olympic referees for this tournament. They have requested that Cambodia host the games again in 2024,” he said.
“We have not yet made a decision on this, because within the ASEAN region we try to provide everyone with the chance to host. Thailand, which will host the SEA Games 2025, is the current first choice. If they decline to host, Cambodia will host it for the third year in a row,” he added.
