Why we are digitalizing Cambodia's sports industry

Sport is booming in Cambodia. Sixteen thousand runners lined up for the Angkor Wat Half Marathon, 65% of Cambodians are under 30, and the 2022 Economic Census counted 1,491 sports businesses serving them. The government now pushes sport as one of the country's next growth industries.

Yet the business behind it still runs on paper. Venues take bookings on chat apps and count cash at night. Clubs run every fun run on Google Forms and Excel, and lose 10 to 15% to ticket fees. Players need ten Telegram groups to find a game.

More than a booking app

People often see Kehla as a booking app with a community on top. The bigger idea is infrastructure: one connected system for everyone in sport.

• Business software for venues and coaches: bookings, members, memberships, 1:1 training and revenue in one dashboard.
• An event platform for organizers: tickets, bibs, draws, live scores, check-in at the door and the TV display.
• A marketplace for players: courts, classes, coaches, clubs, races and tournaments, paid by KHQR.
• A social network for communities: find players, join clubs, earn perks for showing up.

Built for how Cambodia works

Imported software asks local businesses to change how they work. We did the opposite. Kehla runs in Khmer and English, takes KHQR from any Cambodian banking app, talks to people on Telegram, and works on the phone the staff already carry. Every screen is kept simple on purpose.

An aggregator that reinvests

Because Kehla sits in the middle of the sports economy, we can do something no single venue or club can: put money back into the whole of it. Free tools for players and clubs, 0% booking commission, 0% when organizers are paid on their own KHQR, perks spent at local partners, and sponsorship for clubs, events and athletes. Every player who joins makes it better for everyone.