Does anyone remember the girl who 'ran and cried' at the SEA Games?

The moment Bou Samnang ran and cried left strong emotions.

More than two years since the day the pouring rain covered the Morodok Techo Stadium, the image of the small Cambodian girl running and crying is still vivid in the minds of sports lovers. Bou Samnang did not win a medal, did not break a record, and even finished last. However, with all her determination and self-respect, she became an icon that no record can compare to.

The girl comes from small things

On May 8, 2023, in the women's 5,000 meter event at the 32nd SEA Games, Bou Samnang was left behind after just the first few laps. As her competitors crossed the finish line, a sudden tropical rainstorm poured down, making the track look like a small river. But the 20-year-old girl continued running. Alone. In the rain. In tears.

At that moment, it was no longer a mere sports race, it was a journey of will, faith and honor. When Samnang burst into tears, the stands stood up. When she crossed the finish line, all of Southeast Asia fell silent and then burst into tears.

The photo "Bou Samnang running in the rain" went viral on social media and was chosen by The Guardian as the most impressive sports image of 2023 - a testament to the power of the spirit that transcends borders.

Small girl with extraordinary determination.

Bou Samnang was born in the suburbs of Phnom Penh, into a poor family of four siblings. Her father died early in an accident, and her mother worked as a janitor to support her children. From her teenage years, Samnang had to train in her only pair of old shoes, on bumpy concrete roads, without a watch or heart rate monitor. But she still ran, as if only when she ran, she felt free.

In 2016, her talent was discovered and she was called up to the national team. In the following years, Samnang had to live far from home, training for a long time in China to prepare for the first SEA Games held in her homeland.

Few people know that she suffers from chronic anemia - a disease that makes breathing difficult during strenuous exercise. Her coach once advised her to stop. But Samnang just smiled: "I know I'm not strong, but I represent Cambodia. So I can't give up."

The 32nd SEA Games did not see any new records from Samnang. But she won what many people have been chasing for their whole lives: respect and love. When the image of her running in the rain spread across social media, Prime Minister Hun Sen, who was in Indonesia attending the ASEAN Summit, still watched and was moved. He and his wife presented Samnang with 10,000 USD as a reward for "true sportsmanship".

But more importantly, she brought a simple yet profound message to the region. There, sports are not just about winning or losing, but about believing in yourself, in the journey of never giving up.

The raindrops that day, mixed with Samnang's tears, washed away all prejudices about victory, so that people realized that sometimes, just daring to go all the way is already a victory.

A new journey begins with Bou Samnang.

From the track to a new journey

After the SEA Games, Samnang returned to a simple life. She still trains every day, spending more than four hours on the track, and is currently studying international law in Phnom Penh. "I want to study to protect the weak, like my mother," she said, her voice soft but full of determination.

Sports may not have made Samnang rich, but they have given her a reason to get up every morning. She believes that studying and playing sports together will make her stronger both physically and mentally. And as she shared, her next goal is to win a medal at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand at the end of 2025.

No one was sure if she could do it. But for Samnang, that question didn’t seem to matter. Because she had conquered herself long ago, in the Morodok Techo rain that day. Sports are sometimes harsh, cruel to the point of being cold. But it is in that harshness that stories like Samnang’s become the most brilliant.

Samnang does not have a billion-dollar contract, does not own a personal page with millions of followers, but with just a few minutes of perseverance in the rain, the little girl reiterated a seemingly forgotten truth: "Sports is where people conquer themselves before conquering others."

Time will pass, and the medals will be forgotten. But the image of the Cambodian girl running in the rain, crying, will forever be an unforgettable memory of the SEA Games, a reminder that in the midst of life’s rains, as long as we don’t stop, we can still reach the finish line.

Bou Samnang - the girl who didn't win the race, but won the world's heart.

Source: https://znews.vn/con-ai-nho-co-gai-vua-chay-vua-khoc-o-sea-games-post1590605.html