Tolentino says Cambodia SEAG calendar faces trimming

FILE – POC president Bambol Tolentino. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Martial arts Korea aside from taekwondo. Thirty additional events in “vovinam.” A local martial art called “Kun Bokator.”

These are just some of the sports Cambodia intends to pack into the competition calendar when it hosts the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games for the first time.

Good luck to organizers of the 11-nation event, though, as they try to cram a record 632 events into the biennial meet.

“This is the biggest SEA Games in history with 632 events, but we will lessen them because there are so many, particularly in martial arts,’’ said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Rep. Abraham “Bambol’’ Tolentino.

Tolentino said the first-time hosts intend to hold all those events across 49 sports in the 32nd edition of the Games in Phnom Penh on May 5 to 16 next year.

Tolentino, however, pointed out that other member countries are not in favor of several events being included in the calendar.

“Many events are under sports that don’t have international federations or most of the SEA Games countries aren’t familiar with,’’ said Tolentino during the POC executive board meeting held at Knights Templar Hotel in Tagaytay City on Monday.

Cambodian organizers declared that there would be 30 additional events in vovinam, 24 events in martial arts Korea and 13 in dragonboat, a sport where the host nation could collect gold medals. INQ