AsiaLIFE

Some of Cambodia’s most applauded athletes, the disabled volleyball team, will compete for an international championship on home court this month when Phnom Penh hosts the World Cup for disabled volleyball. Cambodia just might win—and the spotlight’s already on. Words by Lindsay Muscato. Photos by Conor Wall.

Sarath Pin, born with polio, grew up feeling different from the people in his village. “I didn’t have a lot of personal worth,” he says, “because I couldn’t do things like others.” But thanks to Cambodia’s national volleyball team for disabled players, he’s been part of the country’s rise through the international sporting ranks. Around his village in Kampong Speu, he’s not known for polio anymore—he’s known for his volleyball.

The CNVLD, or the Cambodian National Volleyball League (Disabled), has been steadily cracking the world circuit since 2000. But it hasn’t been easy. The national team placed a heartbreaking fourth in the 2009 World Cup, after losing to a Polish team expected to be no contest. This month, they’ll get another chance against eight teams from around the world. Led by national coach Christian Zepp and tough-love fitness guru Willie E. Guillory, they’re gunning for first place.

“I’ve coached a lot of tough men,” Guillory says, “but these are some of the toughest I’ve seen. I run them like able-bodied human beings and they run me. They do a lot of things able-bodied people can’t do.”

A slick poster hanging in the CNVLD office shows Pin outlined in fire and leaping for a volleyball. It could be a Nike ad, but it’s actually from the 2009 World Cup, the disappointing loss that they’re out to avenge.

For CNVLD head and disabled sports advocate Christopher Minko, Cambodia stands to gain much more than victory. The Australian points to a resurgence of post-World War II German national pride after winning the football World Cup in 1954. “I believe that if we can win number one, it’ll have a similar impact on Cambodia," he explains. "Cambodia can realize it can be number one in many things—number one in rice, number one in tourist destinations. That’s the power of sport; it facilitates social and economic change.”

Minko explains why volleyball, of all sports, was chosen for his organisation’s flagship disabled teams. It’s partially a pragmatic decision. The World Organisation of Volleyball for the Disabled, an umbrella for national teams like the CNVLD, was founded in the early 1980s in Europe because the sport can be an excellent rehabilitation tool for amputees. But for Cambodia’s team, the sport also spells serendipity. Volleyball is a natural touchstone for Cambodian pride because of its popularity as a national sport in the 1960s.

The Cambodian team’s current success at the very same sport can be seen as a clear-cut metaphor for resilience and recovery. “The core reason for the majority of disability in Cambodia is the land mine issue. It’s an issue impacting the most marginalised section of the community, the rural poor," Minko says. "Our job is to get prostheses on these people and allow them to regain mobility to go back to the fields and recommence their lives.”

This powerful turnaround tale is one reason that “The Killing Fields” director Roland Joffe plans to make a film about the team, entitled “The Playing Fields”. A supporter of efforts to help persons with disabilities, Joffe has also been named as official Patron of Honour.

But behind the scenes, the CNVLD faces big obstacles to raising cash. Thus far the CNVLD’s fundraising and collaborative efforts have footed the upfront costs of about US$200,000. The real trouble, according to Minko, is that “there’s a lack of maturity and cohesion in Cambodia’s hospitality and tourism sector.” But that tide may be turning.

In a recent announcement, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra Hotel has signed on as a sponsor, pledging accommodation for all officials and referees. Furthermore, the event is receiving increased support by the government—in fact, Prime Minister Hun Sen’s wife, Bun Rany, will preside over the opening ceremonies.

Minko outlines the event’s potential opportunity. “An Olympic-level World Cup is going to bring half a million dollars into Cambodia,” he says. “We’ve got more than 120 participants, and virtually everyone is going on to Angkor Wat.” He expects the games to bring in half a million dollars to the Cambodian economy, between the tourism from the attendance of spectators, players and officials.

For now, the power of sport means that Cambodia’s disabled athletes will play on home soil. Minko applauds the athletes’ drive despite the obstacles.

“They’re the ones bringing home medals on the international stage,” he says. “In able-bodied sports, Cambodian teams are starting out on a regional level. With the CNVLD, we’re hosting a World Cup already.”

Sarath Pin encourages other disabled Cambodians to follow in his footsteps. “Start getting involved in organisations like this,” he says. “Don’t lose hope. Just keep trying, and people will see your ability.”