CANDON, Ilocos Sur — Winless in its tournament debut just a year ago, Cambodia has completed a remarkable turnaround and proved it belongs among Southeast Asia’s elite on Saturday.
Pool A’s second-seeded Cambodia stunned regional powerhouse and previously unbeaten Thailand, 25-21, 16-25, 25-23, 25-17, in the semifinals to book a historic berth in the championship match of the 2026 SEA V Cup first leg at the Candon City Arena here.
In the other semifinal, Indonesia swept Vietnam, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22, to arrange a gold medal showdown with Cambodia on Sunday at 5 p.m. in the tournament hosted by Candon City Mayor Eric Singson and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The Cambodians’ breakthrough comes just a year after a forgettable debut in the then-SEA V.League, where they went winless in all eight of their matches across two legs.
“Last year, we were 0-8, and we learned from our mistakes. The most that we have changed is just our mentality. Tomorrow, we will fight again,” said Cambodia star Voeurn Veasna, who finished with 21 points built on 17 attacks, two blocks, and two aces.
Veasna received ample support from his teammates, as four other Cambodians scored in double figures. Kuon Mom added 13 points, Thy Menghuong chipped in 12, Pin Sarun contributed 10, while Phol Ratanak had eight.
The finalists both emerged from Pool A, the same group that included eventual fifth-place finisher Alas Pilipinas.
When the two teams met in pool play last Thursday, however, Indonesia cruised to a 25-18, 25-18, 25-21 victory over Cambodia.
Thailand, which captured the 2025 first leg title in Candon, was paced by Chaiwat Thungkam with 20 points and Amornthep Khonhan with 17.
Meanwhile, Boy Arabi scored 12 points for Indonesia, which remained unbeaten without dropping a single set in the tournament.
Farhin Halim added 11 points for the Indonesians, while Nguyen Ngoc Thuan led Vietnam with nine markers.
