Empowering Youth
Sen Rina, Cambodia
Sen Rina is a football coach for Indochina Starfish Foundation (ISF) in Cambodia. Founded in 2006, ISF combines educational and football programmes to help young people develop the skills and confidence to break out of poverty, working with 60 organisations and schools.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life?
My name is Sen Rina, and I work as a football coach at ISF (Indochina Starfish Foundation). I’ve been working for ISF for more than 8 years. I first started playing football in school with no intention of becoming a coach. As a girl born into a poor family in a rural part of Cambodia, I was responsible for most of the household chores and had little time to go to school, let alone play sports. I saw football as a way to distract myself from the problems I faced in my family – football made my life better by providing me an opportunity to enjoy my childhood and make more friends. Joining ISF’s Football Programme also offered me a chance to travel to different parts of Cambodia, which I had never experienced before.
Who is in the photos? Where were the photos taken?
The photos are from a U10 Boys team that I coach in Puon Phnom Primary School and a U10 Boys team I coach at Robas Angkanh Primary School. The photos were taken during their weekly training on their school campus.
The team in red is the U14 Boys team from Empowering Youth in Cambodia (EYC) coached by an ISF instructor, Kheng Raksmey. The team in yellow is the U14 Boys team from the Happy Tree organization (HIV positive players).
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
Despite their young ages and little experience with football, their passion for football is tremendous, and I am very impressed to see their respectfulness and self-discipline.
At the beginning of the training, they stood in line and listened to me explaining the team rules, and after that they were divided into two teams to play.
Are there any good stories connected with the people or teams you photographed?
This player is in the U10 Boys team that I coach. Though his physical health is not so strong – he often gets nosebleeds when playing under the sun, he didn’t give up on his passion for football and still joins training regularly. I always motivate him to continue playing football and teach him how to stop and prevent nosebleeds. Now his health is getting better.
Why is football so important for Cambodian people?
Football helps people to become healthier and maintain good health. In addition, football gives people, especially young people, an opportunity to travel and make more friends. It can also be a source of income for some players from poor families. For people with disabilities, football is so important. It gives them a chance to enjoy life and see the world with a positive outlook.
What role does football play in Cambodian society?
Through football, people begin to see the importance of friendship, forgiveness and solidarity.
What does football mean to you?
Football means so much to me because it’s made me see a better version of myself. It’s because of football that I started to realize how important my dreams are, and that giving up should not be an option.
What is the future for Cambodian football?
In my opinion, Cambodian football today has become more popular than in the past. My hope for Cambodian football is to see more and more people from other parts of Cambodia participate in and support this sport.
