Cambodia completed its stunning Cinderella run in the SEA V Cup, seizing the gold medal with a 25-23, 28-26, 23-25, 22-25, 15-11 victory over powerhouse Indonesia on Sunday at the Candon City Arena.
Winless in eight matches last season, the Cambodians defied the odds to rise to the top in Week One of the regional tournament.
Voeurn Veasna had 29 points on 26 attacks, two aces and a block, while Kuon Mom scored 27 on 22 attacks, four blocks and an ace for Cambodia.
Halim Farhan led Indonesia with 23 points on 21 attacks and two aces, while Boy Arnez Arabi had 22 points, all on attacks.
Cambodia entered the zonal meet ranked 117th in the world and announced its arrival with a five-set victory over Alas Pilipinas, then FIVB rated No. 90.
The Cambodians dropped the pool play match against Indonesia but advanced with a 1-1 card to the semifinals where they stunned defending champion Thailand.
The triumph completed one of the greatest upsets in the zonal meet, denying an Indonesian side that had captured the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Men’s Cup in India just last month to vault to No. 44 in the world rankings.
For the Indonesians it was a stark reminder that the gap between teams in the Southeast Asian region is slimmer than ever and that rankings offer no guarantees.
Thailand ended the week with a 23-35, 30-28, 25-20, 28-26 victory over Vietnam for the bronze medal in the tournament presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the City of Candon headed by Mayor Eric D. Singson.
The Thais regrouped after a dismal first set and outlasted a determined Vietnamese side that refused to fold.
Bhinijdee Nadapet erupted for 30 points on 28 attacks and two blocks, drawing huge cheers from the big closing-day crowd
Thungkham Chaiwat had six of Thailand’s 15 blocks, finishing with 21 points. ‘We are very happy about today. We’re looking forward to next week, we will try our best,’ Thaweerat Thanathat said. ‘We help each other, we support each other.’
Nguyen Ngoc Thuan paced Vietnam with 32 points from 28 attacks and four blocks, while Tang Ngoc Hieu scored 11 and Tran Duy Tuyen added 10.
Indonesia and Cambodia were playing for the gold medal at posting time.
The Philippines on Saturday salvaged fifth place with a straight-sets victory over Myanmar.
All six teams return to action in the second leg set next week in Indonesia.