HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam emerged as the strongest team at the sixth World Kun Khmer Championships, finishing top of the medal table when the tournament concluded on February 14 in Cambodia.

After seven days of competition, the Vietnamese delegation claimed 18 gold medals to dominate both the senior and junior events, despite this being their first appearance at the championships.

On the final day, February 14, Phan Thị Hồng Liên, Trương Đình Vàng and Phạm Lê Gia Huy advanced to the finals, securing one gold and two silver medals, respectively.

Their results helped Việt Nam edge past hosts Cambodia, the birthplace of Kun Khmer, to lead the overall standings by a single gold medal.

In total, Việt Nam won 18 gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals. Cambodia finished second with 17 gold, 15 silver and five bronze medals.

“My fighters successfully fulfilled their mission,” said Nguyễn Trọng Nguyên, head of the Vietnamese delegation.

“I was truly proud and moved by their spirit, determination and effort. I would like to thank the athletes for their courage and the coaches for their dedication, which enabled them to compete at more than 100 per cent of their capacity.”

Beyond their impressive performances in the ring, Việt Nam also made its mark at the International Kun Khmer Federation (IKKF) General Assembly, held in Preah Sihanouk Province.

Hồ Thanh Liêm, Head of the Competition Organisation and Events Department of the Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation, was elected Vice President of the IKKF.

Representatives of all IKKF member countries unanimously endorsed a new 25-member executive committee. At the assembly, the newly elected leadership called on the federation’s 63 member nations to work together to raise the global profile of Kun Khmer, with the long-term goal of securing its inclusion in the Olympic Games during the current term.

The federation aims to expand its membership to 75 countries in the 2026–30 period, a key requirement for Olympic recognition.

Among its priorities in 2026, Liêm and the federation will promote the establishment of Asian and Southeast Asian Kun Khmer federations to strengthen the sport’s regional structure.

At home, the Sports Authority of Việt Nam officially recognised Kun Khmer as one of the country’s elite sports in January.

The National Kun Khmer Clubs Championships will be held in June in Tây Ninh Province. The National Junior Kun Khmer Championships are scheduled for August in Gia Lai, while the National Kun Khmer Championships will take place in September in Cần Thơ, which will also host the seventh World Kun Khmer Championships in November.

Kun Khmer is a Cambodian-origin combat sport featuring stand-up striking and clinch fighting, in which competitors aim to win by knockout, technical knockout or points. — VNS