The National Olympic Committee
of Cambodia (NOCC) is bringing its “Sports for All” programme” to the provinces
to encourage more Cambodians, especially the youth, to participate in sports
and related activities.
With the 2023 Southeast
Asian Games approaching, the NOCC and allied agencies have been working
overtime to prepare Cambodia for the region’s largest sports gathering.
Cambodia will host the SEA Games for the first time in its history less than
three years from now.
In the last few weeks,
the NOCC has also been going around various schools in Phnom Penh, Kampong
Thom, Kandal, Kep, Preah Sihanouk and other provinces to promote its Olympic
Values Education Programme (OVEP).
OVEP, which was developed
by the International Olympic Committee, is focused more on promoting sports in
the education sector. Under OVEP, school-age children are taught the core
ideals of Olympism and are encouraged to excel in sports. To inspire and
motivate them, the NOCC brings along Olympians to share their experiences to
the youngsters.
The “Sports for All”
programme, meanwhile, focus more on the provinces. The NOCC holds a major
activity every year in one of Cambodia’s 25 provinces as part of the programme.
This year, Kampong Thom
province was chosen as the venue for such activity. Ratanakiri and Preah
Sihanouk are among the provinces that hosted the “Sports for All” programme in
the past.
On November 13, scores of
athletes and trainers descended on the province to conduct a series of
activities under the programme.
They were joined by
hundreds of people, including many primary and secondary school children.
The participants played
volleyball, football and others sports. Traditional games and aerobic exercise
were also part of the day’s activities. Some of the participants found the time
to cycle around the village where the event was held.
Representatives from the
NOCC also took the time to educate the participants about the various measures
that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Nhan Sokvisal, director
of International Relations Department at the NOCC, explained that they want
more people in the provinces to get involved in sports, either for competition
or health reasons.
“We want everyone to
participate and work together for Cambodia’s success in the 2023 SEA Games,”
Buy Sophoan, another NOCC official who joined the event, said.
The organisers followed strict health and sanitation
protocols to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. There were temperature
checks and participants were asked to wear masks and observe social distancing.