Phnom Penh, Cambodia, October 4, 2022: The Prime Minister of Cambodia, Hun Sen, delivered a moving keynote speech to open the 41st Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister spoke of how the Kingdom, including the sports movement, had recovered from the horrors of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s to build a path for peace and friendship.
“The sports and Olympic Movement in the Kingdom of Cambodia are flourishing throughout the country as the Cambodian people have been living in peace and development in all sectors,” the Prime Minister said.
“Taking this rare opportunity, I would like to recall the bitter remorse for Cambodia and the Cambodian people who went through the most brutal tragedy in human history - the genocidal regime of Pol Pot between 1975 to 1979 in which citizens had no chance to play sports and exercise as they did not even have the right to life, not to mention food.
“After the liberation on January 7, 1979, the Cambodian people were left empty-handed and everything was completely destroyed, so the Cambodian people gradually made efforts to rebuild the country in all sectors, including sports, by gathering former coaches and athletes who survived the slaughter to organise activities and restructure sport.”
The Prime Minister added that Cambodia was now a country of peace and looking forward to a bright future, especially in sport, with the hosting of the Southeast Asian Games and ASEAN Para Games in 2023 and the OCA’s Asian Youth Games in 2029.
“Peace is priceless. Even sports activities cannot take place in a society or a country full of war and turmoil,” the Prime Minister said.
“We, the Cambodian people, have worked hard to regain peace through sweat, blood, life and tears, but the most important and difficult task is to maintain a long-lasting peace that requires further support and assistance from international friends who understand and love peace.
“In addition, Cambodia has been striving to integrate into the international community and international movements to promote national development and social harmony in order to build a world full of solidarity, friendship and peace in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”
Hun Sen assured the delegates that Cambodia was a safe destination for tourists from all over the world, as more than 15 million of 16 million Cambodians, or 94.95%, had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and the country had fully reopened with no restrictions.
The Prime Minister urged Cambodian athletes to step up their technical levels so that they could compete on the international sports stage, and asked for the support and cooperation of the whole Asian Olympic movement in assisting Cambodia on their journey.
