More than 400 players and their supporters attended the opening ceremony for the games at Phnom Penh's National Olympic Stadium, considered an architectural monument to the country's pre-war past.
"This is the first event in Cambodia history that gives an opportunity for disabled players to show off their ability and talent," Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said at the opening ceremony.
The games themselves are a tribute to Cambodia's people, who have survived three decades of bloody civil war and the 1970s genocide by the Khmer Rouge, which has left the nation strewn with millions of landmines.
Cambodia's players are largely victims of landmines who compete using locally made prosthetics, rather than the high-tech artificial limbs available in richer countries.
Sheer determination has made the men's team from Cambodia number one in Asia, raising hopes that they will beat out five rival squads from Canada, Germany, India, Poland and Slovakia in the final match on December 2.
None of Cambodia's other sports teams can claim such success, and the country has not hosted an international sports event since the 1960s.
Cambodia's athletic institutions remain largely in disarray since the civil war ended in 1998, but the disabled league was established in 2002 and quickly found popularity in a country with no shortage of amputees.
"Although we are landmine victims, we have to stand up and compete," said 35-year-old volleyball player Phat Yuy, who lost his left leg while fighting the Khmer Rouge near the Thai border.
Despite feverish demining efforts that began in the early 1990s, Cambodia remains littered with millions of landmines and other unexploded munitions that continue to kill or maim an average of two people each day.
"This is the first event in Cambodia history that gives an opportunity for disabled players to show off their ability and talent," Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said at the opening ceremony.
The games themselves are a tribute to Cambodia's people, who have survived three decades of bloody civil war and the 1970s genocide by the Khmer Rouge, which has left the nation strewn with millions of landmines.
Cambodia's players are largely victims of landmines who compete using locally made prosthetics, rather than the high-tech artificial limbs available in richer countries.
Sheer determination has made the men's team from Cambodia number one in Asia, raising hopes that they will beat out five rival squads from Canada, Germany, India, Poland and Slovakia in the final match on December 2.
None of Cambodia's other sports teams can claim such success, and the country has not hosted an international sports event since the 1960s.
Cambodia's athletic institutions remain largely in disarray since the civil war ended in 1998, but the disabled league was established in 2002 and quickly found popularity in a country with no shortage of amputees.
"Although we are landmine victims, we have to stand up and compete," said 35-year-old volleyball player Phat Yuy, who lost his left leg while fighting the Khmer Rouge near the Thai border.
Despite feverish demining efforts that began in the early 1990s, Cambodia remains littered with millions of landmines and other unexploded munitions that continue to kill or maim an average of two people each day.
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