Cambodia to Expose Young Talents for Chance at a Brighter Future

PHNOM PNEM (FIBA Asia Cup 2021 SEABA Pre-Qualifier) - Cambodia will be taking taking court in a FIBA Basketball event for the first time since the turn of the millennium in the FIBA Asia 2021 SEABA Pre-Qualifier. It’s been a long journey for the Cambodia Basketball Federation and their Technical Director, Austin Koledoye. The Nigerian native has been involved in the local basketball scene since the late 2000s and is now looking to guide them further in the right direction.

 “OUR TARGET IS TO START EXPOSING THE YOUNG PLAYERS TO HIGH LEVEL COMPETITION. OUR PRIMARY TARGET IS TO BE PARTICIPATING IN SEABA AND FIBA EVENT, NOT JUST SEA GAMES. AUSTIN KOLEDOYE

 After consecutive years of competing in the SEA Games and showing positive signs of development, Koledoye and Cambodia are now looking to take the next step forward.

 “Our target is to start exposing the young players to high level competition. Our primary target is to be participating in SEABA and FIBA events, not just SEA games.” Koledoye states.

 “l honestly think we need to play more in  SEABA and FIBA tournaments to will improve our FIBA rankings. For the past years, people are more aware that basketball is being played in Cambodia and we are just taking another step forward. What we are doing here is building a basketball culture that has not been in existence for over three decades.”

With an average age of 22.1 years on the roster, Koledoye’s team is certainly one that is preparing for the future. It is also quite different from the squads that Cambodia has assembled in the past. Back when he started, Koledoye had to literally reach out across the world to jumpstart the program with a limited pool of talent in Cambodia.

“When I was appointed as the Head coach, I was aware of the basketball landscape in South East Asia. I knew about the powerhouses of basketball — the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. These countries were far ahead of other countries in the region, so I was looking for a quick fix at the national level.” Koledoye says.

Koledoye’s search led him to Lowell, Massachussets, a city dense with a Cambodian-American population. He got in contact with Sopheeng Toun, a Cambodian college student based in the USA, and successfully recruited him to play for the National Team. Toun’s success led Koledoye to continue his search for even more Cambodians overseas. It resulted in something larger than Koledoye initially imagined.

“The invitation of Cambodians in diaspora to play for the SEA Games has awaken the awareness among the youth,” Koledoye says. “That is why the government has been supporting the grassroots development for last two years. Awareness is increasing and more youths are taking up the sport. Our plan is building for the future.” 

“It all started with [Tuon]. The inclusion of those [overseas-based] players have had a multiplying effect among the youth here,” Koledoye says. “But how much longer could we depend on overseas players without homegrown talents? That was where the idea of having a local program started.

“I am aware that it is going to take a while to see the results but we are building a foundation that will be sustainable in the long run.”

 That’s why Cambodia will only have one overseas-based player, 24-year-old guard Dominic Dar, in this the FIBA Asia 2021 SEABA Prequalifiers. Dar is expected to be the main contributor for this team as Cambodia will also use the tournament to display their grassroots development program. Though Koledoye thinks they “might get battered”, it’s a promising start towards a bright future.

“We’re sending mostly local grown players to the qualifiers as it is part of the long term plan,” Koledoye says. “It is a decision to start exposing the players here to a bigger game. They are young, but they will compete. It is good to have foresight for the future. Some will say it is a risk but I see it otherwise.” 

 “Our target is to start exposing the young players to high level competition. Our primary target is to be participating in SEABA and FIBA events, not just SEA games

FIBA