The National Cycling Championship will be held in Siem Reap province this coming January 23, the Cambodian Cycling Federation (CCF) announced yesterday.

The event was supposed to be held last month, but the CCF was forced to postpone it due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cambodian government banned all sports activities in the aftermath of the ‘November 28 Incident’. The ban was only lifted last week.

In the last few years, Cambodia has been making the extra effort to give local riders a better chance against their counterparts in Asia, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. Such effort often materialised in the form of local cycling races. But the pandemic came and halted everything.

Except for the ongoing Cambodia MTB Series 2020, the CCF has not been able to stage a major event in the last few months due to the pandemic.

The lifting of the latest sports ban means that the CCF can get back to organising races and prepare its athletes ahead of major cycling competitions abroad.



Nou Chamroeun, secretary-general of CCF, said the national championship is meant to test and improve the technical skills of riders.

“It is also part of the selection process for the Southeast Asian Games and other competitions abroad,” he added.

The best performers are ‘good candidates’ to represent Cambodia in the 2021 and 2023 SEA Games, according to the CCF.

More than 300 riders from various clubs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and other provinces are expected for the race. The number is significantly higher than in 2019, when less than 100 riders registered for the event.

There are three categories under the road bike race: Elite, Junior and Master. The MTB race features the same categories plus a Women’s Division.

The national championship is held in a different province every year. Pursat province hosted the 2019 edition of the race, which was won by Kim Chantou and San Namav.