Kun Khmer’s India Push Tests the Commercial Reach of Cambodia’s National Sport

Phnom Penh, 4 October 2026 – Cambodia’s Kun Khmer movement is testing a new route to international expansion after India’s first national championship brought together about 200 athletes from 12 states, signalling that the martial art may be able to build a large training market beyond Southeast Asia.

The Kun Khmer Federation Championship 2026 was held on 28 and 29 September at Peddem Stadium in Mapusa, Goa, with competitors participating across different weight and age categories. The inaugural event gives organisers an early base from which to develop coaching networks, recurring competitions and commercial partnerships. India’s population and its established appetite for combat sports make the country an ambitious but potentially valuable market for Cambodia’s national martial art.