Kun Khmer - a combat sport that originated in Cambodia – is among the three new sports that the host Cambodia brings to the 2023 SEA Games together with the Cambodian national martial arts of Kun Bokator and Ok Chaktrong (a kind of chess).

Each Kun Khmer match usually lasts 5 rounds with each lasting about three minutes. competitors must not attack when the opponent lies on the floor, not bite, hit the back of the neck or the groin, or grab the belt and the referee will call the fight to end if a fighter is no longer able to compete.

Thailand has refused to participate in Kun Khmer because it believes that it is Muay Thai.

Currently, Vietnam has established a Kun Khmer team. Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat - the world champion in Muay Thai - is now an assistant to the team’s coach and will empower young athletes to compete in this new martial art.

According to Nhat, Kun Khmer has a similar fighting style to Muay Thai and his experience will partly help Vietnamese athletes become more confident./.