Nysan back to bolster campaign

CAMBODIA’S first ever SEA Games tennis medallist Tan Nysan has rejoined the national team after a gap of nearly four years ahead of next month’s Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group III campaign in Iran.

Nysan, who won backto-back bronze medals in Thailand (2007) and Laos (2009), will join Bun Kenny, Vetu Mam, Phalkun Mam and Long Samneang as Cambodia seek promotion to Group II.

Former Panamanian Davis Cup player Braen Aneiros will accompany the team as head coach for the July 11-16 event on the clay courts of Tehran’s Enghleab sports complex, where Cambodia retained Group III status last year after beating Singapore in a playoff.

“Nysan had been unable to assist Cambodia for the past few years due to some pressing personal commitments in France, and he has had a few injury concerns,” Tennis Cambodia secretary-general Tep Rithivit, who also leads the team as the non-playing captain, said yesterday.

Apart from Iran, Qatar, Hong Kong, Turkmenistan, Singapore Syria, Lebanon and Pacific Oceania are taking part.

The teams will be split into two groups for a round robin from which the top two from each group will make it to a four-team playoff, with the winners gaining promotion to Group II. The losers of the relegation playoff will drop to Group IV in next year’s cycle.

Cambodia made a spectacular Davis Cup debut in 2012, winning all five matches to earn promotion to Group III, a status maintained for the past three seasons.