Cambodia took home a gold medal and four bronze medals from the Southeast Asia Wrestling Championships in Singapore on Saturday, an event created in March after the sport was omitted from the 2015 SEA Games.
Cambodian coach Thin Vichet said he was thrilled by his team’s performance, but saw the exclusion of wrestling from the ongoing SEA Games in Singapore as regrettable.
“It’s an important event and equal to the SEA Games. Wrestlers who attended used to be medal holders at the SEA Games,” he said Sunday. Cambodian wrestlers competed in all five weight categories at the regional wrestling championship.
Dorn Sov picked up a gold medal in the 96-kg freestyle weight class after a close final match with Singaporean Hidayat Bin Haron.
“I am happy with this medal and I hope this kind of sport will be included in the SEA Games” in the future, he said.
Chhun Tuon and Nguon Makara both won bronze in their respective weight classes.
Gabriel Huang, competition manager for the Wrestling Federation of Singapore, said events at the biennial SEA Games are chosen by the host country.
“In my opinion, that is not the best way as the athletes may not get a chance to compete after preparing for two years,” she said in a Facebook message.
“There should be a standard list of sports like in the Asian or Olympic Games.”
