Women’s nat’l football team confident after China trip
The Cambodian women’s football team expressed confidence that their seven months of hard training in China would enable them to set a new record for the upcoming 32nd SEA Games hosted in the Kingdom in May, predicting that they would get past the group stage and advance to the semifinals at minimum, despite the team not notching any wins at the recent SEA Games in Vietnam.
At the 31st SEA Games – held in Hanoi in May 2022 after Indonesia transferred its hosting rights the year prior due to the Covid-19 pandemic – the Cambodian women’s team lost 5-0 to the Philippines and then lost 7-0 to Vietnam in the Group A qualifiers.
However, after training in China from September 15, 2022 to April 24, the team now feels confident that they have made enough progress in their level of play and they hope to reach the semi-finals.
Nhor Sreynet, a member of the national team, said the seven-month training camp in China was different from any training camp in Cambodia because the training period would be much shorter, between two and three weeks. The training period in China, she said, was longer and under the guidance of Chinese coaches.
The 21-year-old added that the training in China focused on three main areas: Training on the field and the techniques and tactics of the game. Second, they trained in the gym two to three times a week. Third, they practised running and jumping on sand and other strength and endurance exercises.
“The training in China was harder. We got a new taste for victory. Despite cold weather, our national team still trained hard. I really appreciate the spirit of all our national team players who trained hard in preparation for the 32nd SEA Games,” she said.
Sreynet said the Chinese coaches tried hard to correct the weaknesses of the Cambodian players and reinforce their strengths. In addition to the training, the team played several matches with the Chinese women’s team.
“We all have never been discouraged, but we have struggled with difficulty to enhance the technical quality of our team as the main goal of the 2023 SEA Games. The whole team expects to go through group stage and advance to the semi-finals,” she said.
Sreynet asked that people support and encourage them, even if results may not be as expected.
During the SEA Games, the Cambodian team will play in Group B and will take on Laos on May 3, then play against Singapore on May 6 and Thailand on May 9 at Smart RSN Stadium. Group A will feature Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Khun Samphos Panha, general manager of the Cambodian women’s football team, said the intensive training in China will give the team a good shot at winning games at the upcoming events.
“The Cambodian women’s football team has a strong dedication and will achieve their goals at the SEA Games. We all have had a high commitment to doing this before going to training camp in China. We must strive to reach the semi-finals and then to win a medal,” she said.