Monyrak is an Associate in our Phnom Penh office. He has a thorough knowledge of Cambodia’s intricate IP landscape and acts for a wide range of clients in relation to the protection and enforcement of their IP rights in Cambodia.
‘Football Against the Enemy’, a book written in the 1990s by British author and journalist Simon Kasper and now a classic of sports literature, tells how the simple game of football became a global obsession, touching on, and interacting with, complex national, political, cultural and social issues. At the time, a reviewer in The Times newspaper exhorted his readers: “If you are interested in football, read it. If you are not interested in football, read it”- which says a lot about the book, but it also says something about football itself. Its appeal seems almost unlimited. But quite apart from its extraordinary appeal, and its status as a global phenomenon, for many who play it, football is a valuable lesson for life, teaching teamwork, communication and leadership skills, and developing the qualities of commitment, perseverance and resilience.
Monyrak has been passionate about the sport ever since his uncle began taking him to matches when he was 6 or 7 years old, and kicking the football with him in the back garden. It soon became apparent that he was not just keen on the game, he was also talented. When he was about 12 and he began playing in the school team, the coach told him at the end of a match that he could be thinking of football as a career. And for a while he did dream about becoming a professional footballer. But when he was offered a place in the national Under 14 Team, he realised that it wasn’t going to be possible – he needed, and wanted, to spend more time studying. He was a top student and both he and his family thought that, for him, studying would likely lead to a better future than football. His enthusiasm for the game did not, however, diminish and he continued playing right through school, and he played for his university in ther inter-university competition.
Football has been much more than a game for Monyrak: it has played a very important role in his life. He says it has helped him develop skills that have proved very valuable in both his personal and professional life. Playing football taught him how to work with others to get the best result. It also helped him develop endurance persistence ad resilience, and encouraged him to work hard. Coaching developed his ability to lead a team, bringing people together and encouraging them to work together to achieve a given end. In many ways, it has been a better training for his current professional role than any business school or professional institution could have been.
It is a great gift to be talented at both sport and academic pursuits: it increases the range of possibilities and experiences that are available and encourages the development of a more rounded person. At school, as well as being a good footballer, Monyrak was particularly good at Mathematics. When the time came to go to University, however, he, somewhat surprisingly, chose to study International Relations. He was curious by nature, eager to travel and see the world, and he thought continuing with Science might restrict his options. He was also good at languages and could see that a role that involved communicating and using English, and that also offered the possibility of travel would suit him. He decided to study International Relations at the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions in Cambodia.
On graduation, he took a position in the HR department of Cambodia Airport. This might seem an unusual move, but positions of this sort were highly sought after and highly competitive and, besides, he thought that working at the airport might get him closer to achieving one of his main ambitions: travel. It seemed a good option, and although he decided to move on after nine months, it was challenging and provided him with some valuable experience. There were 900 staff at the airport and only four people in the HR team, so he had to learn quickly and was required to work independently for much of the time, conducting interviews and training sessions, preparing documentation and scheduling and managing appointments. While there, he also managed to do an Executive Masters Degree in International Business Law. When the opportunity arose, he joined a leading Southeast Asian law firm, as an IP Assistant. He didn’t know anything about IP when he joined, but he learned a lot on the job - and in 2017 qualified as a Trade Mark Agent. From there, he moved to Rouse in 2020, where he has happily accepted the challenges involved in helping develop the firm’s practice, drawing heavily on the skills that both his football experience, and his previous professional roles, had taught him.
It has been a very busy few years, but it hasn’t been all work – or football, although he does still play. In 2021, he married and last October his son, Phang SethNireach, was born. At the moment work and family are taking up most of his time, but his passion for travel has not dimmed. He is looking forward to travelling with his family just as soon as that becomes feasible.
And football will always be part of his life. It wouldn’t seem right to end without disclosing Monyrak’s favourite team and favourite player. So here it is: he is a keen Chelsea fan and his favourite player of all time is the legendary Brazilian, Ronaldo.