Sports Notes Feature - Cambodia's Hok Sochetra On The Ball

AFC Marketing/shot Hok 'Jet' Sochetra

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

In a world where football players are receiving multi million dollar contracts to play the beautiful game there are some players that continue to play for the LOVE of the sport. Former Cambodian national team player Hok 'Jet' Sochetra falls into the LOVE category. ESPN/Star Sports football analyst Scott O'Donnell said Sochetra was one of the two best strikers in South East Asia with Thailand's Kiatisuk Senamaung was the other

Sunday February 15, 2004

SOCHETRA PLAYS FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

In a world where football players are receiving multi million dollar contracts to play the beautiful game there are some players that continue to play for the LOVE of the sport. Former Cambodian national team player Hok 'Jet' Sochetra falls into the LOVE category. Sochetra is industriously pursuing a football career despite many bumps in the road that has deterred his success internationally.

During the 2000 Tiger Cup an ESPN/Star Sports football analyst Scott O'Donnell said Sochetra was one of the two best strikers in South East Asia with Thailand's Kiatisuk Senamaung was the other. Sochetra departed the national squad after the 2000 Tiger Cup competition to pursue a career in business. He took a job with Samart a cell telephone service provider. Samart denied the then 27-year-old striker permission to continue playing with the national squad.

During his inactivity Sochetra gained weight and was out of shape when Samart permitted him to play in a World Cup qualifying match in Phnom Penh against Maldives. After the game he dejectedly admitted that he had no power. He was sacked from the side and the squad went on to lose every remaining World Cup Qualifying contest.

The national team showed that they could play without their all-time leading scorer (on record) when they played brilliantly in a 3-1 loss to China in China. Sochetra watched his national team presence evaporate. The squad was in transition as there was a changing of the guard. A big question for Sochetra was how could he keep his foot on the ball and continue to play the beautiful game.

In December 2002 he returned to the national squad a bit rusty and overweight for the Tiger Cup. He sporadically displayed his brilliant playing skill while having to struggle with his endurance and power. Sochetra knew if he wanted to continue to play, hard work was ahead of him. He would have to get into better shape.

Samart entered the Cambodian Premiere League with Sochetra plying his trade as a player/coach. They won the title if their first season. They moved on to international club tournament play in Indonesia winning one of three games. Momentum was building Sochetra was finally playing on a regular basis though not at the international level. Things were happening in his new life that seemed to be blossoming with promise. One of the biggest turning points in his life happened was when he married early in the year 2003.

National team opportunity arose when Sochetra was an assistant for the coach of U-23 Cambodian squad that competed in the 2003 Sea Games in Saigon, Vietnam.

Sochetra estimated that during the past year he has played in 100 games. He said he wouldn't have played a national team game if he were a member of the national squad. Cambodia's national squad hasn't competed in any (over 23) national competition since the 2002 Tiger Cup.

Sochetra is looking forward to the upcoming The Cambodian Football Federation Cup tournament. It's a knockout event involving 40 clubs. The Premiere League is scheduled to begin their season in April..

When asked how his life has changed since he now has a day job working for Samart as well as playing football being a married man how does he schedule his time? On the family The Jet proudly stated that his wife had a baby girl, Chetra Nakaphanid February 4th.

You often hear that in Europe club football is usually better than national team football because the squads spend more time and play more games together. Sochetra noted that the quality of play in Cambodia is usually better on the national team level BUT not this year. He feels that this year the club level is better because the teams have company support.

"The national team has no company or government support," he added. "To be good you must have support and a sponsor."

Samart's club was hit with the loss of one of their top players and national team member Ung Kanyanith when he resigned from the company in January to sign with the An Giang football club in Vietnam. In doing so he rejoined former Cambodian national team coach Joachim Fickert.

The loss of his club & national team teammate won't hurt Samart, Sochetra said.

"My Samart team is still good," he emphasized. He pointed out that Kanyanith's move to play club football in Vietnam is good for Cambodia. "He's going to show that Cambodian football players can be professional."

Though the national team owes him money he said that he would play for them again. Samart has had a change of heart which permits him to play with the natonal side and keep his job.

The striker plays for the LOVE for the game and has yet to reap the rewards of the MONEY. He was once offered a contract with a Vietnam club team. He turned it down preferring to stay on his day job.

During Sochetra's various national team hiatus he struggled with his weight. He continues to deal with the weight problem. Soooo...... If a major playing opportunity came about, at thirty years of age can 'Jet' regain his skills and be as sharp as he ever was?

"Right now the company has given me the time to train," he said. "The last time (World Cup Qualifier) I didn't have time to train. If the national teams asks me to do training the company will give me the time. "I have to lose the fat. Right now I'm 80 kilo. I want to be 75 kilo. I make attempts everyday."

With a heavy club schedule this year Sochetra has many games to help him wear some of that fat, as he calls it, off.

"Maybe I'll join the next Tiger Cup 2004 if the federation chooses me," he noted.