Cambodia & PM: “It is essential to promote the bokator internationally”

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted Cambodia's efforts to present the Bokator in Henan province, China. He pointed out that this performance was not only intended for the national public, but should also enable Bokator to shine internationally.

The Prime Minister spoke on Sunday 20 October at the closing ceremony of the Samdech Thipadei Award for the Khmer Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championships at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh.

“This participation not only showcases our ancestral martial arts in our country, but also presents them on the international stage, giving a boost to the promotion of Khmer martial arts,” emphasised Samdech Thipadei.

He added that as well as preserving this traditional Khmer martial art, it was essential to promote it and raise awareness of Cambodia's rich martial arts culture among both locals and visitors.

In April 2024, in Siem Reap, the Henan provincial government invited Shaolin artists and martial arts practitioners to perform alongside the Cambodian bokator team at the ‘When Shaolin meets Bokator in Angkor’ event, as part of the ‘2024 Year of Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchanges’.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Huot Hak led other Cambodian athletes to take part in the opening ceremony of the joint Cambodian Bokator and Shaolin Wushu martial arts performance at the 13th China Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on 19 October 2024.

This international event attracted the participation of 56 countries, including athletes, private tourism associations, national and international tourists, with a total attendance of around 1,200 people and around 30,000 martial arts students.