Swimmers
splashed with cash after Qatar
Phnom Penh Post Newspaper
Fri, 15 August 2014
National team swimmers were
yesterday rewarded for their exploits in June’s 12th FINA World Swimming
Championship, which was held in Qatar, with cash prizes donated by Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng.
During a ceremony at the National
Olympic Committee of Cambodia headquarters presided over by the Ministry’s
Sports Club chief Chea Bunheng, female silver medalist Nen Somaly and male
teammate Cheng Sopha, who came fourth in Qatar, collected $300 and $150
respectively, while coach Hem Kiry received $200.
“I and my fellow team-mates really
appreciate the prizes from Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng, who always cares
about us, and we pledge to make our results even better at [future
competitions].”
Comments from Aquatics
Cambodia:
I almost, became
falling down from my chair, when I read, in your article, Mr. Ponlok, that
" female silver medalist Nen Somaly and male teammate Cheng Sopha, who
came fourth in Qatar..." Do you want to say, that one Cambodian swimmer
won silver medal and one more became number 4 in FINA World Swimming
Championships 2014 in Qatar?????? Who has told to you, such exciting news? Mr.
Kiry? And, in what distances, what strokes, they made such unbelievable
achievements? I am so wondering, because, according what I know, no any swimmer
ever, from South-East Asia, including Cambodia, won any kind of medal, in
Swimming World Championships!!!!! I will send, copy of Phnom Penh Post
Newspaper, with this article, to FINA head office, as maybe they are not aware
there, about such brilliant achievements! Now, if speaking about exact, facts
and figures, no swimmer Nen Somaly, no swimmer Cheng Sopha - never swam, in any
World Championships, including FINA World Championships 2014 in Qatar!!! Who
told to you, that they swam there and one of them won silver and another was
number 4? Don't you know, how to check info, before you start to write, an
article? In reality, among 3 Cambodian swimmers, who participated in WC in
Qatar, was Mr. THOEUN Thol who was the best by results among the others, as he
made new National Record in 50 Backstroke where he was number 92 and he swam 50
freestyle with his personal best time and was number 138 in that distance, with
2nd Cambodian swimmer HEM Thonponloeu was only 157. Among other two swimmers, was
HEMTHON Vitiny who was number 68 in 50 backstroke and number 115 in 50
freestyle and her relative HEM Thonponloeu, who besides 50 freestyle swam 50
breaststroke where he was number 88.
I really, cannot
believe my eyes, to read such a nonsense from such a newspaper as Phnom Penh
Post is it!!! The oldest English language newspaper in Cambodia! Managed by
foreigners! Unbelievable!!!! Do you seriously think, that nobody ever would
notice, such a nonsense, published in your newspaper?
P.S. What is amazing, when I wanted to check, my comments, I put
in Phnom Penh Newspaper website yesterday, concerning this article, I could not
do it! Because - "Access denied. You are not authorized to access this
page." And, same result shown, for another article I commented, written by
the same reporter, where I mentioned, about mistakes with club's name and
school's name for our club's swimmer. What can I say - just amazing!
Vladimir Y. Maximov, Esq
28 May, Phnom Penh
Afterwards:
What
is really amazing - a year has passed since Phnom Penh Post Newspaper published
such a nonsense article but nobody even have put any comment about it! In the
whole Cambodian history of participation in World Championships in Olympic
disciplines, not only in swimming sport, but in all other Olympic sports - never,
any Cambodian won a medal! There were medals in Asian Games, of course there
were medals in SEA Games, even, one medal in Youth Olympic Games, but never,
ever, a medal won yet, in World Championships for Olympic sports. But, a local
correspondent writes, such a nonsense, and, Phnom Penh Post Newspaper publishes
it, even, the article, supposed to be seen, before publishing, at least by one
editor, yes or no? But, it goes through all procedures - means that this
newspaper sport editor and other editors that time simply had zero knowledge
about sport development and sport history in Cambodia. Amazing!
