PHNOM PENH: Neang Pich Piseth has no qualms about going all out. He is prepared to expand all of his energy, strength, and determination to excel in his sport.

Despite being almost a decade older now, Piseth has not let age slow him down or changed his attitude towards the sport.

“I am still pushing myself too hard, I want to be better every time I race, said the national triathlon champion.

He won the national title in Kep, last year. The sprint triathlon that consists of a 750-m open water swim followed a 20-km bicycle race and rounded up by a 5-km run.

The 28-year-old Piseth has been on top in the triathlon since he lifted the title for the first time in 2014. The only regret in his national career was a second-place finish in 2018.

“I could have won the title, but during the cycling leg of the race, some of us got caught in traffic,” said Piseth.

By the time they resumed the race, it was too late to catch up with the leader.

Piseth is expected to lead Cambodia’s challenge at the Hanoi SEA Games this May, where he will compete up against the likes of defending champion John Leerams “Rambo” Chicano of the Philippines.

“My only wish is to win a bronze. I will still push as hard as I can,” said Piseth.

Piseth, who is employed with the Ministry of Interior, however, does not have to worry about missing his family. As the national training camp is in Kep, the venue for Cambodia SEA Games, Piseth has taken the initiative to shift his family from Phnom Penh to Kep.

The national team resumed training in Kep in December, ahead of the 2021 SEA Games after previously training at the Morodok Techo Sports Complex in Phnom Penh.

While the trip to Hanoi will give the Cambodian team a chance to assess their current form and their rivals’, their main target remains to be the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia from May 5-17 next year.

Cambodia has never won a medal in triathlon in the SEA Games. The Kingdom was represented in triathlon in 2015 (Singapore), 2017 (Malaysia), and 2019 SEA Games.

“The pandemic had made our training sessions very hard over the past year. Most of the time we have been confined to the training center where even cycling had only been on the rollers,” added Piseth.

But, with training back to normal, he hopes to quickly regain his top form.