PHNOM PENH: Cambodia will host the “Hun Manet Traditional Khmer Martial Arts Award” competition to promote traditional Khmer martial arts such as L’bokator and Kun Khmer, as well as other martial arts forms that have been forgotten in communities, with the aim of keeping them from extinction.
Senior Minister in charge of Special Missions Thong Khon said at a press conference Thursday (Aug 8), that in order to preserve all ancient Khmer martial arts, there needs to be more competition and clear technical regulations to reach the mixed martial arts level internationally.
L’bokator, Kun Khmer and Yut Kram Kham events, along with other martial arts that have never been organised before, will be held from October 18-20.
He emphasised that sports are a part of a country’s culture.
"The invaluable culture is the culture of the community, and there are many martial arts still buried deep in local communities.
"We have not been able to discover them because our country was involved in war from 1970 to 1979, during which intellectuals and athletes were killed.
"Later, we continued to have conflict until 1998,” he said.
Vath Chamroeun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), said that the competition is open to practitioners of all forms, whether for performance or competition.
"Sometimes we do not know what kind of martial art they have, but when they arrive, they can tell us about the types they wish to participate in.
"The principle of the prime minister is to have a variety of Khmer martial arts in which to compete or perform.
"This is a great opportunity for all of us to show and preserve our [heritage],” he said.
According to Chamroeun, some Khmer martial artists did not have the opportunity to participate in competitions for the past several years.
He said this is an opportunity for those who have the ability, adding that every martial artist must undergo thorough training and adhere to the rules.
He stated that the scoring for each match will be based on the regulations, adding that the judges and referees will receive training on this later in the month.
Chamroeun also confirmed that foreigners can participate in the competition if they have trained with any club.
He said registration for the October event is open from Aug 8. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
