• Society

Volleyball Federation Considers Creating Female Championship

• By Heak Chhork
• August 29, 2023 2:04 PM

PHNOM PENH – The Volleyball Federation of Cambodia (VFC) will set up a volleyball women’s championship while the federation’s new mandate, covering the 2023-2026 period, has just started.

The announcement was made on Aug. 26 at the Extraordinary Conference of the 6th Volleyball Federation. VFC’s Secretary-General Aing Serey Piseth said the women’s championship will be held under the federation’s Honorary President Neth Savoeun.

“We will consider the statement of our dignitary, Neth Savoeun, who called on [the federation] to promote competitions for women athletes. Thus, in the 6th mandate, we will set out a Women’s Volleyball Championship,” Piseth said.

The championship will be a good opportunity for female athletes to show their ability at a competitive level, Piseth added, without giving any clear timeline for setting up the championship.

As the federation’s new mandate is starting, new players will be selected for the volleyball’s national team.

The creation of a women’s championship is in line with the federation’s will to develop volleyball for both men and women, while the sport is gaining momentum in the country.

Cambodia’s men’s volleyball team won a bronze medal during the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Vietnam in 2022, and a silver medal at the 32nd SEA Games a year later in Cambodia.

For the first time in its history, the national team will compete at the 19th Asian Games, which will be held in China from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, 2023.

“This is a new record for the Cambodian Volleyball team. In the last 50 years, we never competed for the championship in the Asian Games,” said Piseth, adding that the team will also be training harder for the upcoming 33rd SEA Games which will be in Thailand in two years.

The federation’s secretary-general encouraged both young men and women to train hard, as the federation welcomes those who are capable of joining the national teams.

“The seats in the national teams are available for the athletes who are capable, heartful, and nationalistic to become the athletes representing the country,” he said.

The Men’s National Volleyball Team will be training in China under a scholarship until the end of the year. There will be other four athletes joining the team: Thy Menghuot from the Interior Ministry, and the three players from Cuba who just received Cambodian citizenship, namely Henry Pelayo Bernal, Lester Armando Sanchez, and Raciel Herrera.

Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Meng Seavmey for Cambodianess.