2022's SE Asian Wrestling Championships in Phnom Penh

I recently attended the SE Asian Wrestling Championships in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There were several great matches, particularly between Indonesia and Vietnam, and several ones that appeared staged. Amidst the din, one wrestler, Hà Văn Hieu, stood out. I've often called amateur wrestling the loneliest sport, but I've lacked photographic evidence proving my point. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll leave you with a few photos in reverse order--taken within two minutes of each other--and let you see what I mean about wrestling, the greatest sport in the world. 

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (December 2022) 

Alternate caption: Don't let the bright lights and spotlight fool you--wrestling is lonely. Its difficulty is so severe and intense, its best participants lay prostrate after a match. 

ISSN 2770-002X