Kampuchea Balopp had the pleasure of organising a girl’s rugby tournament with teams participating from Singapore and Cambodia. The 210 girls ranged in age between 8 and 14, and from the Cambodian teams, 9 came from the KB program, 2 from the Lycée Français René-Descartes de Phnom Penh – Cambodge, and 3 from the Valkyries who travelled all the way from Singapore to participate in the event! The Valkyries took advantage of this trip to Cambodia to support KB by bringing equipment donations and offering a souvenir polo shirt of the tournament to each participating player. We thank our three generous referees who came directly from Thailand for the occasion, Naga Medical Clinic, and the volunteers from the Phnom Penh Social Rugby Club.
Our KB Day brought together 400 children for a fantastic day of sport and rugby and was made possible by the generous support of the Amaris Foundation . Also, a big thank you to the UWC South East Asia children, parents and teachers from Singapore who helped out with the activities and made a donation of sports equipment and kit for the children. Their enthusiasm and expertise was greatly appreciated and we look forward to their next visit later in the year!
Kampuchea Balopp is very proud to announce that it won the Rhino Grassroots Rugby Award for 2016!
The winner was announced in London on Monday the 14th of November at World Rugby’s Conference and Exhibition 2016 (ConfEx) and the trophy was presented to KB representative Frederic Hervouet by Rhino CEO Reg Clarke and former WASPS and England Captain Lawrence Dallaglio . The full list of shortlisted candidates were:
1. The Batumi International Beach Rugby Festival (Georgia)
2. The Cronk-Cunis National Under 21 Festival (England)
3. Kampuchea Balopp (Cambodia).
4. The Los Vegas Invitational Tournament (USA)
5. The Piotrowice Nyskie International Rugby Festival (Poland)
We very much appreciate the work of Rhino in supporting grassoots rugby!
On the Sunday 22nd of May 2016, at the ISPP – International School of Phnom Penh, Kampuchea Balopp has organised the last Grassroots rugby day of the school year. 11 of our NGOs and School partners has answered to our invitation, and it’s more than 400 rugby players, from 8 to 17 years old, who has attended to this great morning.
The Main objective of Kampuchea Balopp program is to promote education and social inclusion through Sport. That’s why, before the games, we organized some activities with blind and low vision children which were mixed with other children to play together.Some mentally disabled children from Action Cambodge Handicap also joined us to played with other children and share a warm moment of fun together.
Then, differents rugby games were organized between the 34 teams regrouped in 4 differents age group categories: Under 11, U13, U15 and U18. A big thanks to our sponsor, Cambodia Airports without whom this great moment would not have been possible.
We would like to thanks as well all the volunteers from the Lycée Français René-Descartes who helped us to set up the field and animate the activities. Finally, we would like to thanks the players from Phnom Penh Social Rugby Club and Peou Sophoan who did a very nice job to referee all the games.
with Krousar Thmey Foundation, Mith Samlanh, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant – Cambodia, Taramana, Toutes à l’école, Transform Cambodia, Cambodian Children’s Fund, ISF Cambodia, Sok Sabay Association.
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Dimanche 22 Mai 2016, sur le terrain de l’ISPP, Kampuchea Balopp a organisé le dernier KB day de l’année scolaire. 11 de nos ONG et Ecoles partenaires ont repondu a notre invitation et au total, ce sont plus de 400 amoureux (et amoureuses) du ballon oval qui ont participé à cette grande fete du rugby.
L’objectif principal de Kampuchea Balopp est d’utiliser le sport comme un levier d’education et d’insertion sociale. C’est pourquoi, nous organisons, de nombreuses activités avant la tenue des matchs, en mélangeant les enfants sans se préoccuper de leur capacité physique ou de leur niveau social d’ origine. Ce fut un moment très chaleureux, avec une forte démonstration de tolérance et de solidarité.
Ensuite, les matchs ont pu se lancer avec pas moins de 34 équipes regroupées dans 4 groupes d’age différents. Les matchs se sont déroulés dans un superbe état d’esprit, et filles et garcons ont pris un plaisir certain à jouer les un avec et contre les autres. Nous voudrions remercier Cambodia Airport, sans qui cette journée n’aurait pu etre organisée, ainsi que tous les volontaires du Lycée Francais René Descartes qui nous ont aidé a la mise en place et la tenue des activités. Enfin, nous aimerions remercier les quelques joueurs du Phnom Penh Social Rugby Club qui nous ont preté main forte pour l’arbitrage des matchs.
Avec: Krousar Thmey, Mith Samlanh, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, Taramana, Toutes à l’école, Transform Cambodia, Cambodian Children’s Fund, ISF Cambodia, Sok Sabay Association.
[:en]For a number of years Kampuchea Balopp has contributed to the development and education of Cambodian youth through sport. Through the program, it provides educators and moral values which are essential to the sports development and well-being of the children.
During this time, we have forged strong links with a growing number of NGOs from the 4 corners of Phnom Penh. Initially the trainings, led by our teams, were made within the schools or centres with which we work. Gradually we moved the children by organizing trainings on synthetic sports fields, providing more comfort and more safety for the children.
This month of May 2016 marks the start of a new era for Kampuchea Balopp and the 800 children who benefit from our program. Indeed, thanks to the outstanding support of the Decathlon Foundation, we were able to build the first synthetic field dedicated to rugby in Cambodia. This will allow our educators to work in optimal conditions and was a first for Cambodia for rugby.
Located at PSE (Pour un Sourire d’Enfant), one of our long-term partner organisations, this 60m long and 30m wide field, is equipped with changing rooms and goalposts. Plus, our educators will be able to centralise our activities in one place. Everything has been designed to also practice football and handball activities on the field (the requisite lines drawn, interchangable posts etc).
Charline Duriaud and Sothary Keo are among those without whom this project would not have been possible. Both employed by Decathlon Cambodia, they went to present the project in France with Decathlon Foundation and to raise funds. Then they participated in the development of the project.
Here is an interview with Sothary and Charline:
What is your position at Decathlon Cambodia?
Sothary : I’m IPL, it means Industrial production Leader.
Charline : I’m SPL, Supply Production Leader. I work with textile factories to check the process and the meeting deadline for the orders we get from everywhere in the world.
What is the aim of the Fondation Decathlon?
Fondation Decathlon was created to encourage Decathlon staff to be involved in sports related projects that pomotes social insertion.
Charline, can you tell us why you wanted to support Kampuchea Balopp?
When I arrived in Cambodia, I met JB (Jean-Baptiste Suberbie, KB Founder) and I found his ambitions very courageous, especially to develop such an unknown sport in Cambodia. Then, I attended some training sessions, and the motivation, energy and pleasure of the kids was enough to convince me that I could do something. They had no proper sports clothes, and we are producing them just over here, we had to find a way to help them to practice in better conditions.
How did you manage, with Charline, to convince the Foundation to support Kampuchea Balopp?
We closely work together. Our goal, helping children and disabled children through sports and physical education, convinced the Foundation. We know Kampuchea Balopp works for the same objectives.
On the 10th of May, we celebrated the inauguration. Around 50 people attended the event, and upon arrival the guests watched a training session with disabled children from Krousar Thmey Foundation (blind and hearing impaired kids) and children from PSE. The ceremony started with the opening of the commemorative plaque. Afterwards, the co-founders of Kampuchea Balopp, Nicolas Olivry and Jean Baptiste Suberbie made a speech. They shared with us their beliefs about sport and child development and reminded us how sport can help children to grow with good values such as respect, tolerance and team spirit.
After that, His Excellency Bou Chom Serey, Deputy Secreatary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport spoke. He congratulated the job of Kampuchea Balopp, PSE and Decathlon and assured us that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport appreciates that kind of project and will continue to support it. We also heard a speech from the Decathlon Foundation represented by Charline Duriaud and Sothary Keo.
At the end of the ceremony, Kampuchea Balopp organised a mixed exhibition game (tag rugby) with the children of PSE and Krousar Thmey to demonstrate some of the qualities that KB promotes, including gender equality and social inclusion.
We would like to thank everyone who attended the event and all of our supporters without which it would not have been possible.
We would also like to thank the media who covered our event:
Depuis trois ans, Kampuchea Balopp s’efforce de participer au développement et à l’éducation de la jeunesse cambodgienne par le sport. Il n’est plus a prouver que ce dernier apporte des valeurs éducatrices et morales indispensables à l’équilibre des enfants.
Durant ces trois années, nous avons tissé des liens forts avec un nombre croissant d’ONG situées aux 4 coins de Phnom Penh. Au départ les entrainements, animés par nos équipes, se faisaient au sein même des écoles ou des centres avec lesquels nous travaillons. Petit à petit, nous avons déplacé les entrainements sur des terrains de sport en herbe synthétiques, apportant ainsi plus de confort et surtout plus de sécurité pour les enfants.
Ce mois de Mai 2016, annonce une nouvelle ère pour Kampuchea Balopp et les 800 enfants qui bénéficient de notre programme. En effet, grâce au soutien remarquable de la Fondation Décathlon, nous avons pu construire le tout premier terrain synthétique dédié au rugby de l’histoire du Cambodge ! Cela va permettre à nos éducateurs de travailler dans des conditions optimales.
Localisé au sein de « Pour un Sourire d’Enfant », l’une de nos organisations partenaires historiques, ce terrain de 60m de long sur 30m de large, équipé de vrais poteaux de rugby, va permettre à nos différents éducateurs de centraliser un maximum de nos activités au sein d’un seul endroit. Tout a été pensé pour pouvoir mettre en place également des activités Football et Handball (le dessin des lignes au sol, l’emplacement des poteaux).
Charline Duriaud et Sothary Keo font partie des personnes sans qui ce projet n’aurait pu voir le jour. Toutes deux employées au sein de Décathlon Cambodge, elles sont allées présenter le projet en France auprès de La Fondation Décathlon, afin de lever les fonds. Elles ont ensuite participé à la réalisation du projet.
Voici une interview de Sothary et Charline: Quelle est votre position au sein de Décathlon Cambodge ?
Sothary: Je suis IPL, ce qui veut dire Industrial Production Leader
Charline: Je suis SPL, Supply Production Leader, je travaille avec les usines textiles pour vérifier les mécanismes de production et le respect des délais pour les commandes que l’on traite à travers le monde entier. Quel est l’objectif de la Fondation Décathlon ?
La Fondation Décathlon a été créée pour encourager les salariés de Décathlon à s’investir dans des projets relatifs au sport et qui favorise l’insertion sociale.
Charline peux-tu nous dire pourquoi vous avez voulu soutenir l’association Kampuchea Balopp ?
Quand je suis arrivée au Cambodge, j’ai rencontré JB. J’ai trouvé vraiment courageux son ambition de développer un sport aussi peu connu au Cambodge. Ensuite, je me suis rendue aux entrainements et la motivation, l’énergie et le plaisir des enfants, m’ont convaincu que je devais participer. Ils n’avaient pas de chaussures de sport, et nous les produisons juste ici ! Nous devions trouver un moyen de les aider à pratiquer dans de meilleures conditions. Comment êtes-vous parvenu à convaincre la Fondation Décathlon d’apporter son soutien Kampuchea Balopp ?
Nous avons travaillé conjointement. Notre but, aider les enfants et les enfants handicapés à se développer grâce au sport, a convaincu la Fondation Décathlon. Nous savons que Kampuchea Balopp partage cet objectif.
Le 10 mai, ce fut l’inauguration. Environ 50 personnes ont fait le déplacement. A leur arrivée, les invités ont pu observer une session d’entrainement avec les enfants aveugles et malentendants de Krousar Thmey et ceux de Pour un Sourire d’Enfant. La cérémonie a commencé avec l’inauguration d’une plaque et la coupe du ruban. Les co-fondateurs de Kampuchea Balopp ont ensuite fait un discours. Ils ont partagé leur vision du sport, bienfaiteur au développement des enfants. Ils nous ont rappelé comment le sport leur permet de grandir avec des valeurs importantes comme le respect, la tolérance et l’esprit d’équipe.
Son excellence Bou Chom Serey, Secrétaire d’Etat au Ministère de l’Education, de la Jeunesse et des Sports a également pris la parole. Il a félicité le travail de Kampuchea Balopp, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant et Décathlon. Il a assuré que le Ministère de l’Education, de la Jeunesse et des Sports encourage ce type de projet et qu’il soutient l’éducation des jeunes par le sport.Nous avons également entendu la fondation Décathlon, représentée par Charline Duriaud et Sothary Keo. Pour conclure la cérémonie, Kampuchea Balopp a organisé un match d’exhibition avec les enfants de Krousar Thmey (malentendants) et Pour un Sourire d’Enfant pour prouver l’insertion social par le sport.
L’équipe de Kampuchea Balopp souhaite remercier toutes les personnes sans qui ce projet n’aurait pu aboutir.
Nous remercions également les médias qui ont communiqué sur l’évènement :
Stuff Cambodia: English http://stuff-cambodia.com/lifestyle/fitnesshealth/5382
Khmer http://stuff-cambodia.com/kh/cambodia-kh/5406
Sabay http://news.sabay.com.kh/article/708348
The first Cambodian club team to participate in the prestigious Bangkok International Rugby Tens Tournament, returned back to Phnom Penh this Monday with a lot of wonderful images in their heads and the knowledge that they had exceeded everyone’s expectations. The 16 women rugby players, trained weekly by Kampuchea Balopp, did a remarkable job in the tournament last weekend, and finished in 3rd place out of five teams. 4 games played – 2 defeats and 2 victories. Cambodian womens rugby is slowly but surely making itself known within the Asian rugby community.
After 16 hours of bus travel on the Friday the Cambodian team played their first game at 6pm on the Saturday against the Chula University of Bangkok. Much more experienced and organised, the local team did not give any opportunities to the Kampuchea Balopp team to control the ball, and as such, won the game 15-0. On the Sunday morning after a good night’s sleep and with bodies full of energy, the story was much different! In fact, their first game of the day against the Kuala Lumpur Tigers was an amazing battle. After a first try scored by SOTH Chanthou, the Cambodian team defended really hard during the whole second half. Fortunately, the try scored by the KL team at the end of the game was not converted, and that made the first victory of the day for the Khmer players!
Against the Royal Air Force, a team that trains almost every day and have in their squad around 6 players from the national team who won the last SEA Game, the gap was too big. But it gave the opportunity for those young Cambodian players to see what high level rugby looks like, and at the end, even if the defeat was harsh, it helped the team to grow and to prepare for their last game of the day against the Bangkok Banger Belles.
This game was really important for the coaches who, since the beginning of the tournament, had told the players that it was possible to come back to Cambodia with two victories in their luggage. The first half was extremely balanced, no team scored and the defence of both teams was well organised. In the 2nd half, there was again a try scored by the winger SOTH Chantou after an amazing play by Chun SokPhallin, who managed to set up her team mate. But the Belles did not want to loose again to the KB team (after their defeat in the last Bangkok 7’s), and they controlled the ball until the end, pushing hard against the Cambodian defence who valiantly resisted unti the end. The Cambodian will to win was too strong to let the Belles come back, and when the referee ended the game, the happiness of the Cambodian girls was just magic!
We would like to thank our sponsors Phoenix ASEAN Law Firm, IRCO Design & Consulting and Rugby Club Biel Bienne, who helped Kampuchea Balopp participate in this 11th edition of the Bangkok International Rugby Tens Tournament.
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