Phan Thi Hong Lien celebrates after giving Vietnam‘s Khmer Kun its 18th gold medal – Photo: Nam Trung
On the evening of February 14, the 6th World Khmer Khmer Championships concluded in Sihanoukville, a coastal city in Cambodia. Due to a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand late last year, the tournament, originally scheduled to be held from December 17 to 23, was postponed and moved to this event.
Despite having to compete in host country Cambodia, the “holy land” considered the birthplace of the sport, Vietnam received praise from the international community in its first participation.
On the last day of the competition, Phan Thi Hong Lien won another gold medal, helping Vietnam to surpass Cambodia and take first place in the overall medal rankings with 18 gold medals. This is exactly one more than the host country, Cambodia.
Mr. Nguyen Trong Nguyen, Deputy Director of the National Sports Training Center, evaluated the team’s overall success and said, “As the leader of the delegation, I was truly moved by witnessing the unity and unwavering will of all members. I would like to thank the coaches for their dedicated guidance and the players who bravely competed and gave 100% of their abilities.”
Vietnam took overall first place at the 6th World Khun Khmer Tournament 2025 – Photo: Nam Trung
The Vietnamese team not only took first place overall at the World Kun Khmer Championships, but also stood out in competition operation and management.
Accordingly, at the Executive Committee meeting of the Khmer Kun International Federation (KIF) for the 2026-2030 term, Vietnamese representative Mr. Ho Thanh Liem was elected as a member of the Standing Committee and appointed as KIF Vice President.
Participating in the KIF Executive Committee is not only a personal honor, but also a strategic step to help Vietnamese combat martial arts strengthen its presence and influence on the world stage.
It is known that efforts are being made to establish the Southeast Asian Khmer Kun Federation and the Asian Khmer Kun Federation in 2026.
Previously, Vietnam’s Ministry of Sports and Sports designated Khmer Kun as one of the high-performance sports (Group III) from 2026 at the end of January 2026.
According to plans, the first National Khmer Kun Club Championships will be held in Tay Ninh in June. The national Khmer Kun Championships will then be held in Gia Lai in August and in Can Tho in September.
The World Khmerkun Federation also selected Can Tho as the host city for the 7th World Khmerkun Championships, scheduled to be held at the end of November 2026.
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date: 2026-02-14 14:29:00