The Cambodian National Games was a selection event for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games

The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia selected the sports which approved to the first edition of the National Games and boxing was added to the official program. The Cambodian National Games will be held in the capital city of the country in Phnom Penh which will be the biggest ever sport event of the nation.
Boxing is also among the 14 approved sport in the Cambodian National Games: athletics, badminton, basketball, bokator, boxing, football, gymnastics, petanque, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and wrestling involved to the official schedule of the multisport event. Altogether 172 sport events were held in the newly launched Cambodian National Games in Phnom Penh which was half size like an Olympic Games.
The boxing competition will be one of the selection event for the 2017 Southeast Asian Games which to be scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next year’s August. Cambodia claimed one silver medal in the boxing tournament of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games in Singapore where their new sensation Ratha Ven advanced to the final of the Men’s Light Welterweight class (64 kg) and only Thailand’s star Wuttichai Masuk was able to stop him.
Cambodia will be hosting the 2023 Southeast Asian Games therefore the new National Games will support their athletes to prepare well to the home event. Before their long term strategy Cambodia is planning to send a team to the boxing tournament of the upcoming 2017 Southeast Asian Games which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August.
Cambodia’s best light flyweight (49kg) boxer National Defence Ministry’s Reoun Sokly tried to dominate his final fight against Hem Serey and did his very best in their spectacular contests. The speed was the difference between them in the first final of the National Games in Phnom Penh and young Sokly was able to win his career highlight.
At the flyweight (52kg) Chhorn Dany had to meet with Suem Ponlue in the gold medal bout and did his very best to achieve the title. The next gold medal was achieved by Laov Chentra who controlled his final fight against Soy Sei in Phnom Penh which was Banteay Meanchey Province’s first gold medal in the Games.
Por Sat province’s Hel Ra had to meet with Mang Sameth in the final of the fourth weight class in the Cambodian National Games and claimed the title. Khun Bora has got good name in the country in Khmer boxing as well which is a traditional combat style and after those experiences he was able to beat Long Samnang.
Cambodia’s national team member boxer Lao Chantra and Reoun Bunroun delivered a top fight in the National Games which was the sixth one in the bout list of the finals. In the seventh final of the Cambodian National Games Khun Samkhan had to meet with Thol Makara to decide the next gold medal. Khun Samkhan had better accuracy in their contest and won his first national title in Phnom Penh.
Cambodia’s currently best boxer Meoun Sophea is well-known in the country and his popularity delivered for him a gold medal after a top performance in the last final of the Cambodian National Games where he was able to beat Sin Ratha. Sophea delivered the last gold medal for the team of the National Defence Ministry.

Winners in the Cambodian National Games
48kg: Reoun Sokly
51kg: Chhorn Dany
54kg: Laov Chentra
57kg: Hel Ra
60kg: Khun Bora
63.5kg: Lao Chantra
67kg: Khun Samkhan
71kg: Meoun Sophea