Excitement is building among the Athletes with a Disability of Cambodia for the impending start of the 2007 National League Competitions. With two leagues – A and B - for the first time ever in 2007, the 16 teams from across Cambodia are putting the final touches to their training regimens in preparation for what promises to be the hottest competition to date.

With player transfers at an all time high in the off-season, the current National League Champions Phnom Penh Sunway Dragons will be feeling the pressure once again as the other coaches seek the best players in the country to help them claim the top prize. As the professionalism of the League structure and players rapidly increases, so the stakes are being raised.

All A-League teams have now been in subsidised training since May with their all new 2007 uniforms to shortly be unveiled and distributed. All teams have also been provided with new nets, balls and perimeter nets to renovate their training courts under the supervision of their internationally trained coaches.

2007 will see the A-League games being played at the Olympic Stadium for the first time, reflecting the growing importance of the programme within the Cambodian national sporting infrastructure. All games will be free for the general public and fans can check the League Schedule for further details.

The 2007 League sees the continuation of many prestigious sponsors including DHL, Kingmaker, Hagar, International School Phnom Penh, Templestowe College, Sunway Hotel, Cambodia Air Catering, Medico International, AusAID and Austcare as well as welcoming new sponsors PPM, Confirel and Actionaid. The CNVLD will continue to welcome new sponsors as the League progresses through the season.

The added pressure of relegation into the B League for the lowest ranking A-League team will also guarantee an extra edge on this year’s A-League games, while the potential for promotion for the top-ranking B League team will no doubt see fierce competition especially between Kratie and Veal Thom, both already looking strong in the pre-season. The National B League Competition will also welcome two new teams in 2007 from Anlong Veaeng and Kompong Cham in line with the CNVLD’s policy of annual expansion.

A newly renovated Kien Khleang Sports Court awaits the B League teams with newly installed rubbish bins, athlete seating, children’s play area and court improvements reflecting the implementation of the CNVLD’s mandate with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veteran’s and Youth Rehabilitation to renovate all external areas of the Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre.

In the back of all the athletes minds however is selection for the Cambodian National Team and the opportunity to compete for #1 in the world on their home turf during the 2007 WOVD Cambodia Standing Volleyball World Cup. Performances during the League competition will determine the selection process with a National Coach from Germany arriving in time for the 2007 National League Grand Finals before embarking on a rigorous training routine prior to the start of the tournament on 24 November 2007.

With the first A-League competition scheduled for Saturday 30th June, the excitement is building. You have to be there to see for yourselves the skill and dedication of the Athletes with a Disability of Cambodia.

CNVLD wrote:

QUOTE:
Excitement is building among the Athletes with a Disability of Cambodia for the impending start of the 2007 National League Competitions. With two leagues – A and B - for the first time ever in 2007, the 16 teams from across Cambodia are putting the final touches to their training regimens in preparation for what promises to be the hottest competition to date.


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hi cnvld,

I am excited when i learned about this post.
We also had olympic games here were we got involved
and it was all about the disabled and mentally challenged
players.

Surely this is noble, when we believe that even
these people specially the mentally challenged
have all the right and also have the capacity
in areas of sports, arts and music.

all we have to do is to support them and
help them to live a meaningful life.

Hi Linsi,

Thanks for your message of support. The motto of the Cambodian National Volleyball League Disabled is Stand Up! (our website is www.standupcambodia.org)

Stand Up because the Athletes with a Disability of Cambodia refuse to play sitting volleyball where amputees drag themselves around the court. Our sport - Standing Volleyball - has been excluded from the Paralympic Games by the International Paralympic Committee in favour of sitting volleyball. The CNVLD is currently engaged in a campaign to pressure the IPC to re-instate Standing Volleyball to its rightful place in the Paralympic Games.

Stand Up because by playing elite level sport they demonstrate their dignity and pride as normal people who desire to be treated as such. The Cambodian National Standing Volleyball Team is currently #5 in the World.

Stand Up because persons with a disability continue to struggle to achieve equal rights.

Thanks Linsi!