Sports & Culture: Prime Minister Hun Manet announces first all-Khmer MMA competition

Prime Minister Hun Manet has announced the launch of a new annual mixed martial arts competition to be held every October from this year.

Cambodia’s Oum Tharoth (in blue) attempts to escape the armlock of South Korean Bo Mi Lee during the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship in Phnom Penh, on July 11. Tharoth lost the close match on points. NOCC

He made the announcement while presiding over the launch of the 2nd Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship (AMMA Championship) at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh on July 11. He explained that while the October event will be similar to other AMMA competitions, it will feature a wide range of Cambodia's unique fighting systems, and thus belong to the Khmer people.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that while Cambodian athletes have competed in many international mixed martial arts competitions, it remains important to showcase fighting styles that are uniquely Cambodian in order to demonstrate the wide variety of Khmer martial arts to the next generation of Cambodians and foreigners.

The competitions will be open to a wide range of participants, including civil servants, members of the armed forces and foreigners.

La Long of Cambodia (in blue) grapples with Ali Arshad of India during the Asian Mixed Martial Arts Championship in Phnom Penh on July 11. NOCC

The Prime Minister appealed to all athletes competing in the AMMA championship, as well as members of the public who enjoy practicing or watching martial arts, to prepare to participate in or support the first Khmer competition, which begins on October 1.

He also urged foreign fighters to rise to the challenge of the event, noting that as a mixed martial arts competition, practitioners of many different styles will be pitted against each other. This will be different from previous Khmer martial arts competitions where fighters have been separated according to their fighting style.

The 2nd AMMA championship attracted 233 delegates and athletes from 18 countries, including India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taipei, Macau, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as well as hosts Cambodia.