Two of the most explosive fighters in the lightweight division will face each other Sunday when Kao Roomchang takes on Van Chanvey at the CTN boxing arena. The match is part of an eight-man, round-robin tournament to determine a challenger for the 60-kilogram title.

"I'm 80 percent certain I can win," said Van Chanvey, sipping on a bottle of Cola after a recent workout session. Both natives of Battambang, Van Chanvey, 23, and Kao Roomchang, 21, are widely regarded as the No 2 and No 3 fighters in the tournament, respectively, behind top-ranked contender Long Sophy.

Van Chanvey says he began fighting at the age of 15. After two years on the village circuit, he moved to Phnom Penh in 2003, where he settled in at Club Preah Khan Reach under the tutelage of head trainer Trueng Sossay.

In his first fight of the tournament July 19, Van Chanvey, known for dangerous elbows and a hard-charging fighting style, stopped fellow Battambang native Bheut Bunthoeun in the third round.

In the second round Van Chanvey had opened up a long, deep gash under the left eye of Bheut Bunthoeun with an elbow, and a devastating knee to the head early in the third round prompted cornerman Nuon Soriya to throw in the towel.

"That guy could fight anywhere in the world," said Paddy Carson, president of ISKA Cambodia, who was watching the fight ringside, adding that the top domestic fighters are at international standard.

Van Chanvey's opponent on Sunday, Kao Roomchang, is just as dangerous.

He came into the tournament riding a wave of top-notch wins, including decision victories over No 1-ranked lightweight contender Long Sophy, lightweight titlist Lao Sinath, and all-star veteran Nuon Soriya.

In his first fight of the tournament, Kao Roomchang put Vung Noy on the canvass twice, once in the second round and once in the fourth, during an electrifying victory performance.

Kao Roomchang and Van Chanvey share very similar fighting styles, and both are known for their superb fitness, incredible work rates, and knockout power. Their collision in the lightweight tournament easily carries the potential for fight-of-the-year status.

Fights begin at 2pm Sunday at the CTN boxing arena.

THE chance to go top of the Cambodian Premier League (CPL) was at stake in this game for a depleted Phnom Penh Crown team who've maintained their composure to keep on the coattails of leaders Preah Khan Reach despite an indifferent start to the season. Their 3-2 success against the second-from-bottom Post Tel on Saturday took them to the top spot in the league standings for the first time this season, but for much of the match they lacked their usual fluency and authority, and plucky Post Tel were never out of the game until the final whistle.

Post Tel's tricky striker Gafar Durosinmi made a nuisance of himself from the start, and with more composure would've given his team a seventh-minute lead, but he leaned backwards to send his sidefooted effort over the bar.

On the half-hour, Crown's Srey Veasna latched onto a fifty-yard punt forward by Kuy Tha and was just about the pull the trigger when a last-ditch tackle by skipper Kun Kuon saved the day. The game continued to switch from end to end, and just as the referee was putting the whistle to his mouth to blow for half-time, Durosinmi held off the challenge of Thul Sothearith to deftly clip over the oncoming keeper Sos Brothim to give Post Tel the lead at the interval.

A stern word from the Crown coaching team at the half seemed to do the trick, as they came out from the break all guns blazing and levelled within two minutes. Srey Veasna challenged Post Tel keeper Thong Chanraksmey for a high ball, and the loose ball fell into the path of Mohamadou Ousmanou, who rifled home.

Seven minutes later, Crown went ahead. Substitute Chan Chhaya outwitted Thong Chanraksmey with a simple shimmy on the edge of the Post Tel area to roll his effort into an empty net. Then in the 58th minute, Crown had all but sealed their victory with a third goal. This time Ousmanou was all alone to head in Chan Rithy's floated cross.

Post Tel didn't roll over as expected and came back strongly, netting a second goal and giving Crown a few extra heartbeats in the process. Durosinmi was again at the heart of it, though his deflected shot was touched in on the goal line by teammate Kao Nisey on 75 minutes.

Crown weathered the brief storm to hold onto their lead, although in the final moments, referee Duong Socheat meaninglessly stamped his authority on the game. In sending off two-goal hero Ousmanou and Post Tel's Kun Kuon for a minor dustup, the official ensured the match ended on a sour note.
Build Bright Utd 2, Khemara Keila 4
With the opportunity to move into second spot in lieu of Preah Khan Reach's week off, Khemara Keila Saturday faced fifth-placed Build Bright United (BBU), a team always capable of an upset or two on their day. With injuries and U19 departures affecting their starting lineup, Khemara took time to settle before opening the scoring on 27 minutes. Chan Veasna's looped centre from the right was met by leggy Nelson Oladiji, and he sent his header past BBU keeper Chhim Rotha. The Nigerian striker performed a trademark somersault, to which the spectators at Olympic Stadium roared in approval.

However, BBU proved no pushovers, and equalised within four minutes, albeit with a touch of luck on their side. Skipper Chhun Sothearoth's 40 yard free kick from the touch-line sailed over everyone's heads including Khemara keeper Mak Theara to draw the sides level.

Neat passing and willing running was a feature from both teams, as they put on a good show for the CPL faithful, with Khemara making the next telling contribution. A centre from Ty Bunvichet eluded everyone until it reached Loch Ratha at the far post, and his low drive put his team ahead six minutes before halftime.

Ten minutes into the second period and Khemara extended their lead, after BBU failed to clear their lines. Khemara skipper Kuoch Sokumpheak had his header was weakly cleared by Rem Bunheang, falling straight to Oladiji who needed no second invitation to steer his shot inside the upright.

BBU continued to keep up the pressure and on 65 minutes, Chhun Sothearoth's grabbed a second, striking an unstoppable drive from 12 yards. The goal only served to spur Khemara back into action at the other end, with Kuoch Sokumpheak snapping up a loose ball in the six yard box to fire his team into a 4-2 lead.

In the last minute, Khemara lost Sophal Odom to a red card for a second bookable offence, but the disappointment was quickly forgotten at the final whistle, as they moved into second place in the CPL standings.

BATTAMBANG'S first annual futsal, or street football, tournament, sponsored by Hello phone company, was held in Battambang over the weekend. The three-day event, climaxing Sunday, was a huge success, with visiting players from Phnom Penh and Banteay Meanchey, and special guests from the United States.

SALT Academy the Battambang-based event organiser, has established itself as the premier training facility for both girls and boys football in Cambodia. The organisation teaches players football and life skills, while also training many coaches and referees. In the past year, almost 1,000 players have joined the regular season, with games played over a five-month period from November to March.

Many of the children come from disadvantaged backgrounds and live in orphanages or other institutions. During the monsoon season, the league takes a break, and the leaders of SALT Academy, who worked for years on a way to keep the players involved in activities year-round, have found the perfect solution in the street football competition.

The venue chosen for the tournament was the street area in front of Nedyong High School, in the heart of Battambang town, just metres from the famous Ta Dambang Kranhoung (Grandfather Black Stick) statue. Officials praised the highly competitive play throughout the tournament.

The girls competition featured nine teams, with most containing one or two players from the United States. The tournament marked the beginning of the US girl players' two-week visit to Cambodia, to work alongside the SALT Academy to further develop women's football in the Kingdom.

Both girls semifinal games Sunday went down to the wire, with the matchup between Banteay Meanchey and TTA ending in a shootout victory for Bateay Meanchey, while Homeland v Aspeca was decided by a last minute winner for Homeland, leaving the more impressive-looking Aspeca in disbelief.

The girls championship game presented an even better showcase between Banteay Meanchey and Homeland. Although Homeland had two US guest players (Ellie Otteson and Michelle Camerer), it was their Cambodian girls who scored all the goals in a 3 - 2 victory. Huot Srey Mom, 15 years old and part of the U16 girls national team who played the first-ever competitive game in May this year, displayed great skill to net a brace, showing that girls football is as attractive to watch as the boys game.
"The girls are much better than expected," admitted Otteson, after her team's triumphant final over Banteay Meanchey.

In the U16 boys competition, SVP and Aspeca demonstrated good speed and ability to win through their semifinals Sunday to face against each other later for the trophy. In the final, a questionable penalty early on awarded to SVP, and converted by Tang Rotankha, ruffled Aspeca's feathers enough for SVP to hold onto their slim lead to claim the title.

Players from thirteen U16 teams participating in the tournament seemed to relish the new experience of playing out on the road, and even rainy weather on Friday and Sunday didn't curb their enthusiasm.

In the U16 final, the Aspeca team emerged victorious, beating Nora FC 4-1, with Kiev Sokhan scoring two of the three goals, including a penalty kick.

The seniors semifinal match Sunday between EFC Key FC from Phnom Penh and the local Battambang side Green FC, would have made a worthy final, with both teams playing the fastest and most exciting futsal of all the 19 teams participating in qualification rounds. The teams were evenly matched, with Green playing at frenetic pace and EFC exhibiting tactical patience, and both demonstrated phenomenal passing.

This was a must-see game, and hundreds of spectators and supporters surrounded the field. EFC took the early lead thanks to Put Sotha, who not only scored many important goals for his side, but also stopped a large number of dangerous breakaways as the last defender. Green refused to panic, and good build-up play granted them an equaliser after the EFC keeper fumbled and allowed a shot to cross the line.

With the sides deadlocked at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, a penalty shootout eventually allowed EFC to advance after their keeper made a stunning block, and the following kick was converted.

In the championship game, EFC would prove to be too much for fellow finalists Youth Futbol Club from Battambang, picking them apart with precision and competence, with an aggressive two men up front, two men back flexed defence. EFC Team captain Long Nasy made fine plays from the back, setting up Ham Sokveng and Mol Makara to grab two each in the 5-2 victory.

At the final whistle, both teams shook hands and gave appreciation for each other's efforts, with the visiting team clearly having shown the advantage of having experience from a regular futsal competition in Phnom Penh. Fans also left the event satisfied, even though most of them had hoped the trophy and prize money sponsored by Hello phone company would stay in Battambang, rather than going with the guest team back to the capital.

Organised futsal is very new for Battambang, but the SALT Academy is aiming to promote its popularity with this annual tournament and other organised events, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. The academy is also working with the Cambodian Football Federation to develop Women's Soccer in the Kingdom, and is hoping for many more opportunities for the girls to show off their skills in front of such large crowd numbers.

HEM Bunting has been training at the Olympic Stadium for the past five years as a marathon runner and uses the facilities there for hours each day. To many athletes, their workout centre becomes a second home, but for 23 year-old Bunting, it's also his primary residence. He shares quarters with about 30 other athletes in a room inside the stadium. Such is the way of an Olympic hopeful in Cambodia.

Standing 1.67 metres tall and weighing 56 kilograms, he has a runner's physique. But having the ability and drive doesn't automatically guarantee you a good training programme. Without the proper regimen, athletes find themselves in an uphill battle to compete at international competitions. So how does this man from Stung Treng find himself hoping to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London?

As a youngster growing up in the small town of Srey Phor, Hem Bunting stood out from his classmates in all of the running events. He began participating in provincial 5km, 10km and 21km runs about 10 years ago, and kept coming in first. Bunting was so dominant at meets that his school instructors got in touch with the Khmer Amateur Athletic Federation (KAAF) and arranged for him to move to Phnom Penh to train.

In 2003, he came to the capital and moved into the Olympic Stadium, dividing his time between training and school. The KAAF committed to provide him with a 250,000-riel (US$59.50) monthly salary, as well as meals cooked for him at the stadium.

"I couldn't believe people travelled around the world to compete, and that there were events as big as the Olympics," remembered Hem Bunting. Yet it would be only one year before he would travel to Vietnam for his first international meet, where he came ninth in the 10km run.

Since then, the Cambodian has been adding stamps to his passport at a brisk rate, going to meets in Thailand, Indonesia and Japan among other destinations. "Japan has been the best host country so far," he says. "They took me on a tour and really made me feel welcome."

So far, Hem Bunting's best finish has been at the 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, held in Korat, Thailand, where he finished second in the marathon with a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, 28 seconds, slashing the previous Cambodian best by eight minutes. It was impressive considering he had been running marathons in over three hours just two years previously. An added incentive for athletes to perform well at the SEA Games was a cash reward from the government of Cambodia; US$6,000 for a gold, $4,000 for a silver and $2,000 for a bronze medal.

To qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Hem Bunting would have had to run a marathon in a time of 2h:20m:00sec. However, in the spirit of the games, top athletes of a country in a sport are invited to participate, even when failing to make the cut. Thus last year, Hem Bunting was joined by three other Cambodian athletes to travel in China, where he finished 73rd out of 95 with a time of 2h33:32.

"If he's been able to do this with no advantages, think about how good he could be with a little help," says Rasmey Sokmongkol, Hem Bunting's benefactor since early this year.

The general manager of East West Visa Services, who goes by Raz, is hoping to get the runner competitive in time for the SEA Games, which take place in Vientiane, Laos, this December. The eventual goal is to qualify for and make a mark at the 2012 Olympics in London.

According to Raz, there has never been a Cambodian athlete to actually qualify for the Olympics, and he believes Hem Bunting has what it takes to be the first. Raz is also getting the Cambodian to run in the Boston, Sydney and London marathons as a lead-up to the 2012 Olympics.

"At this point, he has to be provided with things as seemingly simple as a proper diet," said Raz. "Trying to mix in work that barely pays for the necessities and training, obviously his running times will suffer for it. Shaving minutes off of a marathon time takes an increase in stamina that can only come from a stronger body."

Hem Bunting has got this far on a daily diet of breakfast noodles, five cups of rice and 150 grams of chicken; not exactly a Lance Armstrong diet. Previously, his daily caloric intake barely reached 2,000, with a training athlete his size recommended to get around 2,700.

Raz grew up in Australia and recalls the sensation caused by the Australian Steven Bradbury when he won the gold in the 1,000-meter speed skating event during the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. "Steven Bradbury is still a celebrity there. It's a huge thing for a country that doesn't usually rank in the field to win a gold medal," asserted Raz, who was Bradbury's managing agent.

Raz already has fellow Australian-Cambodian Richard Chin joining Hem Bunting's cause by donating a year's membership to his health centre, AusFit, which is located atop the Skyline Apartments in Boeung Keng Kang. As a certified nutritionist, Chin will also help advise the athlete on how to tailor his diet for training and racing.

This month, Hem Bunting will be heading to Europe for the first time, competing in the 12th Athletics World Championships in Berlin on August 15-23. As athletics' biggest competition of the year, with over 200 countries participating, Hem Bunting is happy for the extra support he's getting now.

KAO Roomchang survived an early cut and a brutal third round to score an upset decision victory over Van Chanvey Sunday at the CTN boxing arena.

With Kao Roomchang against the ropes late in the second round, Van Chanvey landed a right elbow that opened a thick cut over Kao Roomchang's left eye.

Kao Roomchang came exploding back in the third round, igniting one of the most vicious rounds of boxing in recent memory, and the two fighters stood toe-to-toe, trading elbows nearly every second of the round.

The match came as part of an eight-man tournament to determine a challenger for the 60-kilogram title. Among the toughest men on the roster, Kao Roomchang and Van Chanvey had never before faced each other, and their meeting was one of the most heavily anticipated bouts of the competition.

Fight fans turned out in record numbers, and CTN took the rare move of opening the station's second parking lot, which was packed long before opening bell.

A slight favorite heading into the bout, 23-year-old Van Chanvey held the rare possibility of beating Kao Roomchang, 21. Or so it seemed.

Yet now, with Van Chanvey and Vung Noy defeated, the only real challenge left to Kao Roomchang's first-place finish is Long Sophy, currently the top-ranked contender, with the two set to meet October 11 on the final day of round-robin competition.

Kao Roomchang has beaten Long Sophy before, a fact of which he is well aware. Barring anything extraordinary, Kao Roomchang stated, nothing should prevent him from claiming first prize.

The winner of the tournament will face current 60-kilogram champion Lao Sinath for a shot at the lightweight title. Kao Roomchang has also beaten Lao Sinath before, in May, when the two met in a non-title bout.

A native of Battambang, Kao Roomchang trains in Anlong Veng, where he serves as a soldier with Brigade 43. Heading into Sunday's match, he knew well the danger that Van Chanvey posed. Before the fight, Kao Roomchang stood at center ring and whispered a very long prayer.

As the bout began, both fighters worked patiently, seemingly aware of the incredible violence to come, and in no rush to speed its arrival.

Kao Roomchang and Van Chanvey, also from Battambang, have known each other for years, and the pair smiled warmly and touched gloves several times during the first round.

Combinations came more frequently in the second round, and kicks landed with more force, but both fighters stayed disciplined until just seconds before the end of the round, when a flurry of punches and elbows left Kao Roomchang bleeding from a gash above his left eye.

Referee Sok Vichay, his jawline decorated with the tattoos of a soldier, mopped up the blood.

When the bell rang to open the third round, Kao Roomchang exploded with a three-punch combination and at least as many elbows, driving Van Chanvey backward into the ropes.

In a furious exchange in the corner, Kao Roomchang landed another elbow that split Van Chanvey's right eyebrow and buckled his knees, as Van Chanvey answered back with elbows from every direction.

The two did not stop until the bell rang. Van Chanvey looked the better of the pair afterwards, but down the stretch, Kao Roomchang kept busier and continued to press the action.

Using his height and reach advantage, Kao Roomchang kept Van Chanvey on the outside and scored with punches, with neither fighter showing much appetite to revisit the bruising battles of the inside.

Van Chanvey looked disappointed in the outcome, but to his brother and cornerman, Van Chanvait, the decision came as little surprise.
"We lost," he said.

In the second of two lightweight tournament fights Sunday, Vung Noy scored a TKO victory over Bheut Bunthoeun with a knee in the fourth round.
Van Chanvey and Kao Roomchang return to the ring August 16, when Van Chanvey faces Vung Noy and Kao Roomchang faces Bheut Bunthoeun.

The lightweight tournament continues until November.

Two male wrestlers grapple during the first day of the Cambodian National Wrestling Championship at Olympic Stadium on Thursday. The three-day event has attracted over 160 participants from seven clubs across the country, including Olympic Club, Endrey (Eagle) Club and Ministry of Interior Club from Phnom Penh, Vihear Sor Club from Kandal Province, Pai Club from Kampong Chhnang Province, and Khmer Wrestling Clubs from Pursat and Kampong Chhnang provinces. There are four categories in which wrestlers compete; traditional Khmer, freestyle, Greco and premier. Women compete only in the freestyle category. Members of the national team are also competing in the tournament, with champions from this year chosen to make up a new team who will travel to Laos in December for the Southeast Asian Games. The team will undergo intense training ahead of the games, with expert coaching from Paek Sunam of Korea. A pre-SEA Games competition is also planned for November.