Sports: The Cambodian flag in the procession of the 2024 Olympic Games

Athletes from the Cambodian team proudly carried the colours of the national flag during the opening parade on the Seine in Paris.

Three prominent athletes are representing Cambodia at the Olympic Games. These include sprinter Chhun Bunthorn and two swimmers: Antoine Le Lapparent, a 17-year-old of Cambodian-French parentage; and Cambodian-American Sakbun Apsara Katarina. They are accompanied by their coach, Hemthon Vitiny. Photo FB

All three athletes have represented Cambodia in a number of competitions, although Antoine Le Lapparent is the most successful of the trio.

Bunthorn became the first Cambodian to secure a gold medal in the men's 800 m race at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia last May.

In the swimming event, Antoine will compete in the 100 m men's freestyle, while Sakbun will compete in the 50 m women's freestyle.

The Cambodian flag in the procession of the 2024 Olympic Games

The opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris took place on 26 July, with the tournament itself running until 11 August. The Games comprise 329 events across 32 sporting disciplines, including three optional sports: skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing. A fourth optional discipline, namely breakdancing, will make its Olympic debut for the first time in Paris.

Cambodia in Olympic Games

Cambodia's first appearance at the Summer Olympics was in Stockholm in 1956, when the delegation consisted of just two riders and, due to restrictive Australian legislation concerning the entry of horses into the country, the equestrian events could not be held in Melbourne like the rest of the competition and had to be moved to Sweden.

It was not until 8 years later that thirteen athletes took part in the Tokyo Games: 4 boxers, 6 cyclists and 3 yachtsmen.

Eight more years followed before 4 Cambodian athletes, 4 swimmers and 2 boxers competed again in Munich in 1972, before a long interruption due to the wars that ravaged the country.

In Atlanta, Cambodia reappeared on the Olympic stage with a delegation of 2 athletes, 2 swimmers and a wrestler. Since then, it seems to have become the norm to send 2 participants in athletics and two others in swimming, given that this was the composition of the delegation at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. To date, athletes from the kingdom have yet to win an Olympic medal.

The 33rd Summer Olympics commenced on 26 July and will conclude on 11 August 2024. Approximately 10,500 athletes will compete.

Being ready and fair-play spirit

During an earlier meeting with the team at the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) headquarters, Thorn Khon, president of the NOCC, explained that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had introduced a number of reforms to strengthen its global identity and promote sustainable competition.

He instructed the assembled delegates to review the new Olympic requirements, including the need for all athletes and coaches to be certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL).

He also warned the team members against violating any of the rules and regulations of the Games, noting that doing so could damage the Kingdom's reputation on the international stage.

Khon quoted the philosophy and core values of the Olympic movement, as well as the words of IOC President Thomas Bach, who emphasised the essence of the Olympic spirit.

While the athletes aim to beat their own personal records, their chances of returning home with medals seem unlikely.

"The Olympics are not just about winning, you should focus on competing to the best of your ability," Khon said.

The 15-member team includes five leaders, five mission officials and two coaches to support the three athletes.

Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the NOCC, said the three athletes had all successfully qualified for the Games. The Kingdom's other swimmers and athletes, as well as wrestlers and taekwondo exponents, failed to qualify for this year's Olympics, unlike in 2016 when taekwondo star Sorn Seavmey became the first Cambodian to qualify for the event.

Chamroeun explained that the IOC decided this year's qualification based on the recommendations of each sport's international federation, which took into account the technique and past performance of all athletes.