Members of the Cambodia contingent hold their national flags during the opening ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on May 12, 2022. (Photo by Ye Aung THU / AFP)
Cambodia’s organizing committees for the upcoming 32nd Southeast Asian Games said that preparations have been making good progress and fully expects the Kingdom will be well-positioned to succeed as hosts of the regional meet from May 5 to 17.
Minister of Tourism Thong Khon–who also serves as permanent vice-president of the national committees for organizing the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games (CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC)–detailed that the official number of athletes, coaches and staff in the delegations sent by 11 countries will number 12,404 in total.
Thousands of fans and international tourists are expected to be in town as well.
“All forces of the CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC, capital-provincial administrations and all relevant authorities have been cooperating actively and closely in carrying out their duties with a high sense of responsibility … Everything is moving towards a glorious success for the honor and prestige of the country as the host for the first time,” said Khon.
There will be 3,500 sports delegates staying at the newly constructed “sports village”, while another 2,000 sports delegates will be staying in four-star hotels near the venue. More than 2,000 sports delegates who are going to compete in the four target provinces outside of the capital have also had suitable accommodations arranged.
To maintain security and public order and carry out emergency medical treatment, there will be more than 5,000 law enforcement officers on duty as well as 3,000 medical workers.
For the opening and closing ceremonies, around 1,000 artists and 2,000 athletes and soldiers have been rehearsing to perform together in a grand spectacle with coordination by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.
There are approximately 5,000 volunteers signed up for the SEA Games and 2,000 volunteers for the ASEAN Para Games, all of them selected and trained by the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC).
Leaders of the organising committees assess the progress of preparations for the upcoming SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, on April 8. –CAMBODIA 2023 via The Phnom Penh Post
“The news and live broadcasts are being carried out by the CAMSOC’s Broadcasting and Information Committee, led by the Ministry of Information, in a technical framework with local television stations in accordance with the policy of the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) council and Prime Minister Hun Sen’s high recommendation to grant free broadcasting rights,” said Khon.
At an April 3 dinner, Prime Minister Hun Sen credited the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk with laying the foundations for Cambodia to be able to host its first international sporting event since the GANEFO event many decades back.
“We are preparing for the 2023 SEA Games, so we should remember the precious merits of His Majesty the King, the late King and head of state at that time, who worked hard to build the foundation of the national Olympic stadium for the GANEFO. Even though we went through wars, division and destruction by the Pol Pot regime, Olympic Stadium is still standing and acting as a good base for us in the 2023 Games,” he said.
While meeting Cambodian athletes during a dinner gathering on April 3, Hun Sen extended thanks to China and President Xi Jinping for providing assistance for the construction of the Morodok Techo National Stadium to serve as the main venue for Cambodia’s first SEA Games and Para Games.
“We can honestly say that without the construction of this huge stadium, it would be difficult to host these games … and we would need to use our small national budget to fulfil the needs for the construction for the games.
“I can say that the original legacy left by His Majesty King Norodom Sihanouk, along with great assistance from the People’s Republic of China … are what have put us in the position to be hosting this event today,” he said.