H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, Senior Minister in Charge of Special Missions and President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), on October 9-10, met with and inspected the training of the grassroots national youth teams in 14 sports and the art team’s trial performance, which is preparing to depart for the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain, which will be held on October 22-31, 2025.
After the meeting, as well as giving advice and encouragement, H.E. Dr. Thong Khon expressed his praise and high appreciation for the spirit of hard work, determination and discipline of young Cambodian athletes under the better management of the National Sports Training Center of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
H.E. Senior Minister said that, “After the latest inspection, I was happy to see that, first, under the management of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, especially the National Sports Training Center, which is better managed. What I want to know is the accommodation and food of the athletes. I see that the diet is good, clean, hygienic and ensures enough calories to help the athletes, and the accommodation is also good.
Second, our young athletes are very motivated, that is, they gather with discipline, dignity and are always ready for the competition. Normally, sports are not just about winning, anyone wants to win, but the important thing is to participate. For this mission to Bahrain, with permission from our Royal Government, under the coordination of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and the host, we are ready to send 14 sports with 73 athletes and coaches, including a total of 157 delegates and artistic groups.”
Along with this appreciation, His Excellency considered this as another new achievement after the 2023 SEA Games, which Cambodia sports sector has made remarkable progress that is worthy of pride. This is due to the efforts of the Ministry of Education, NOCC and the National Sports Federations under the leadership of the Royal Government, with the highest attention of Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, that Samdech has paid highest attention to all sectors of the country's development, including the sports sector.
It should be noted that, over the past two days, out of meeting and supervising the training of all kinds of sports teams, H.E. Dr. Thong Khon also invited a rehearsal performance of the art group that is preparing to participate in the closing ceremony of the 3rd Asian Youth Games to celebrate the flag-receiving ceremony of the 4th Asian Youth Games, which Cambodia will host in 2029. After receiving permission from the Royal Government, Cambodia is also ready to host the event every four years.
The sports that are set to compete for medals at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in late October include swimming, athletics, table football, 3x3 basketball, taekwondo WT, table tennis, Kun Khmer, badminton, pencaksilat, weightlifting, judo, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and mixed martial arts.
