Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, Cambodia, and the Phnom Penh City Administration co-organized a ground-breaking ceremony to set up the ASEAN Sports Zone in Preh Neang Pranha Baramey Park, Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 29 November 2022.

State Secretary for the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, Mr. Sar Sokha delivered remarks on behalf of Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport. “I am proud that Cambodia is the first ASEAN Member State to establish the ASEAN Sports Zone,”.

Counsellor Lin Ruihua of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Cambodia graced the ceremony and congratulated Cambodia for successfully hosting the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits. He said, “The ASEAN Sports Zones will become a milestone in ASEAN-China cooperation and will undoubtedly benefit thousands and millions of people in this region.” Counsellor Lin added that the ceremony also signifies more opportunities for further exchanges and cooperation in sports between China and ASEAN in the future.

Director of the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund (ACCF) Management Team, Mr. Huang Cheng remarked “Promoting healthy lifestyles has been one of the key priorities of the ASEAN and the Government of China. This priority is being addressed through the work of both agencies in sports and health sectors with greater focus on the participation of local communities in sports and physical activities… ASEAN Sports Zones are designed to raise ASEAN awareness through more inclusive means. At the same time, ASEAN Sports Zones seek to contribute to the health and wellbeing of the ASEAN peoples and promote the better use of public parks and green spaces, particularly through the provision of accessible outdoor sports equipment.”