Cambodia’s victories in the first leg of the 2026 SEA V Cup at the Candon City Arena in Ilocos Sur can no longer be considered upsets.
After going winless in the tournament’s inaugural edition last year, the Cambodians arrived in the Philippines with renewed confidence and determination, pulling off one stunning victory after another.
Their remarkable campaign culminated on Sunday when Cambodia dethroned reigning AVC Men’s Cup champion Indonesia with a 25-23, 28-26, 23-25, 22-25, 15-11 victory in the gold medal match, signaling its emergence as a rising force in Southeast Asian men’s volleyball.
At the heart of Cambodia’s breakthrough was outside spiker Voeurn Veasna, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the first leg hosted by Candon City Mayor Eric Singson and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
“I cannot say anything,” Veasna uttered shortly after winning Cambodia’s first SEA V Cup gold.
“But, we went from zero wins, and now we have the championship. I’m feeling good, but I cannot say anything,” he continued, still in disbelief.
Cambodia opened its campaign with a gritty five-set victory over Alas Pilipinas, 25-23, 28-30, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8. It then suffered a straight-sets loss to Indonesia, 18-25, 18-25, 21-25, in their Pool A meeting.
The Cambodians bounced back in emphatic fashion in the semifinals, eliminating regional powerhouse Thailand, 25-21, 16-25, 25-23, 25-17, before exacting revenge against Indonesia in the final to capture the title.
“I just played my game. I just played, I just tried my best to help the team. And finally, we did it, and I got the MVP. I am very, very happy right now,” said Veasna, who was also recognized as one of the tournament’s Best Outside Spikers.
With confidence soaring after the historic triumph, Veasna hopes Cambodia can carry its momentum into the second leg of the SEA V Cup, set for July 22 to 26 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“Amazing feeling because we went to beat the team that won the AVC. Really amazing. We can’t believe this, but we did it.”
