March 15, 2024
PHNOM PENH – Cambodian Kun Khmer fighter Chhoeung Lvay has made history, claiming the World Super-4 title at the I-1 World Championships, held in Hong Kong on March 12.
He took less than a minute to knock out his Thai opponent Fahsang in the first round of his preliminary fight, before going on to claim the 72kg title in a unanimous points win over German fighter Elysee Kochiese in the final match.
The German fighter had claimed the scalp of Libyan boxer Lamin Souayah in his own preliminary round, but had to rely on a judge’s decision to make it to the final with Lvay.
Lvay announced his elation at the victory, explaining that becoming an I-1 title-holder has long been one of his biggest dreams.
He was pleased to share that he had not only received congratulations from Cambodian fight fans, but also from the director of the I-1 institution in Hong Kong.
In a live video that followed his bouts, Lvay said: “When I first started competing, I used to dream that one day I would see the Cambodian flag raised in victory. Tonight, I have made it!”
“I will make more efforts to fly the Kingdom’s flag and represent Kun Khmer on the international stage. I hope that other Cambodian fighters will follow my example and win more overseas titles,” he added.
Lvay revealed that he has received about 34 million riel (about $8,500) in personal sponsorship from Cambodia’s leaders and boxing lovers, reflecting the impact his victory has had on the world of combat sports, and the way he has raised the profile of the Kingdom’s ancestral martial art Kun Khmer.
In a social media post, Prime Minister Hun Manet offered his personal congratulations to Lvay for his incredible victory.
Promoter and matchmaker Sreu Sreng, better known as “Samnob”, accompanied Lvay to the Hong Kong event.
Samnob said the victory was the realisation of his dreams of becoming a successful Kun Khmer promoter, and was the culmination of his earlier career as an analyst and ring announcer.
“I am incredibly thrilled by Lvay’s win. His victory fulfils my long-held dream of leading a Kun Khmer fighter to a world title. I intend to continue to promote our boxers abroad. I believe his title will serve as a bridge for other Khmer to claim world-class belts – I know they are capable enough to do it,” he added.
Samnob explained however, some fans still found it difficult to accept that Lvay’s belt bears the words “Muay Thai”. This means the event was sanctioned by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations, which is highly controversial within Kun Khmer circles.
“Several of the matches organised by Khmer nationals in other places follow the rules of Muay Thai because it is a larger federation. Please don’t consider this to be a problem – we were formally invited to take part in this event,” he continued.
He was of the view that Cambodia needs to send more of its boxers to compete abroad, while establishing as many overseas Kun Khmer federations as possible, in order to promote the sport more widely.
Samnob is currently working with the Kun Khmer International Fight Gym (KKIF) to plan more events around the world.
“We are currently developing Kun Khmer programmes in several ASEAN counties: Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. These are our first target locations, because they gave the Kingdom their full support when we introduced Kun Khmer at the 2023 SEA Games,” he said.
“To express our gratitude, we intend to expand the sport’s reach in these countries before we begin hosting events on other continents,” he added.