Friday, December 11, 2009
CHANMEAN WINS FIRST GOLD FOR CAMBODIA TO BE US$6,000 RICHER
By: WSL MSC Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia) - ICT Committee

     SOK CHANMEAN could not be more than pleased to win the first gold medal for Cambodia and earn the big bucks - US$6,000 - as he retained the petanque gold in the men's singles with a 13-11 win over Malaysia's Mohd Firdaus Adli Mohd Bakri at the Petanque Court, National University of Lao, Dongdok. In a thrilling final, the 27-year-old Cambodian, kept his cool to stop the Malaysian but admitted afterwards:

It was not easy playing Mohd Firdaus. The Malaysian has improved by leaps and bounds. It was a tough final. I have played Mohd Firdaus before and previously, I had beaten him easily, but not today. It was a close final.

Chanmean, who took up the sport at the age of 17, thanked his father for his golden outing at the Korat SEA Games (2007). His coach is his father Sok Mong, who is also the national coach. My win is all the more sweeter and meaningful as it is Cambodia's first gold medal in Laos. I hope that it will be start of better things to come for my country.

Cambodia's medal tally in petanque in Korat was 2 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronze medals. We will be more than happy to improve on this tally. I believe we are in a position to do better than what we achieved in Korat, added Chanmean.

With Cambodia being a popular sport in the country, they will be hoping to win 11 medals of all colours at the Vientiane Games.