Phnom Penh (FN), Oct. 20 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet highlighted Cambodia's recent efforts to showcase bokator in Henan Province, China. He underlined that this performance is not only for domestic audiences but also for international ones.

The premier spoke on Sunday (Oct. 20) during the closing ceremony of the Samdech Thipadei Award for Khmer Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championships at the National Olympic Stadium, Phnom Penh.

“This participation not only showcases our ancestral martial arts at home but also presents them on the international stage, providing a significant boost to the promotion of Khmer martial arts,” Samdech Thipadei underscored.

Samdech Thipadei continued, in addition to practicing and preserving these traditional Khmer martial arts, promoting them both domestically and internationally is crucial. This effort aims to raise awareness of Cambodia’s rich martial arts culture and its other potential among both locals and international visitors.

It should also be noted that in April 2024, in Siem Reap, the People’s Administration of Henan Province brought Shaolin performers and martial artists to perform alongside the Cambodian bokator team at the When Shaolin Meets Bokator at Angkor Event, as part of the “Cambodia-China People-to-People Exchange Year 2024.”

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Huot Hak led a group of Cambodian bokator players to participate in the opening ceremony of the joint martial arts performance of Cambodian Bokator and Wushu Shaolin on the occasion of the 13th China Zhengzhou International Shaolin Wushu Festival in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, on 19 October 2024.

This international event attracted participation from 56 countries, including athletes, private tourism associations, national and international tourists, with a total attendance of around 1,200 people and approximately 30,000 martial arts students.
=FRESH NEWS