Davis squad set for Hanoi promotion battle
THE Cambodian Davis Cup squad, sponsored exclusively this year by Khmer Beverages, is all set to fly out of Phnom Penh on Wednesday evening to pursue its promotion bid in the Asia/ Oceania Group III campaign at the My Dinh Sports complex indoor courts in Hanoi from April 2.
Ahead of Sunday’s official draw to determine the two groups among nine nations, the players will have four days to adjust to indoor conditions and the courts they will face for the first time since the Kingdom’s debut in 2012.
At a joint news conference at the Cambodian Country Club on Tuesday, Tennis Cambodia secretary-general Tep Rithivit and Borei Sylyvann, corporate communications and human resources manager at the Chip Mong Group, the conglomerate that owns Khmer Beverages, described the new alliance as a significant step towards further revitalising tennis in the country.
“Support for Cambodian sports is a key element of our corporate social responsibility, and having been associated with so many other sports like football, cycling and marathons, we were driven towards tennis by the positive direction it has been going in the last few years’’ said Sylyvann.
“We thought it is the right time for this partnership. We never believe in one- offs. We will continue to add value as the collaboration grows through national team activities and junior programs – and going by the determination and spirit of the team, I am confident they will bring us good results.”
“It is a grand endorsement of what we stand for and our achievements, and support from a Cambodian industry giant like Khmer Beverages is vital for our motivation and resolve,” said Rithivit, who will be leading the side as non-playing captain.
The nine teams in the fray for two promotion tickets to Group II are Jordan, Kuwait, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia, Pacific Oceania, Syria, Malaysia, Qatar and hosts Vietnam.