The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as the SEA Games, are a biannual multisport competition that draws competitors from the region’s present 11 nations. Southeast Asian countries have participated in the SEA Games since they were first held in 1959, with Thailand acting as the inaugural host country. Many countries were then granted the opportunity to host the games, but some declined due to outside factors.

Vietnam last held the event in 2021, and now Cambodia will take over all hosting duties. The 32nd SEA Games will take place in Cambodia between May 5 and May 16, 2023. This will be the first time the Southeast Asian Games will be held in Cambodia , therefore a lot of events and efforts are being organized to make it happen. Thailand is also providing significant assistance to Cambodia, including support for athletes’ training. 

SEA 2023

Over 7,000 athletes are anticipated to participate in the tournament. The nations participating in the 32nd South East Asian Games are: Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste.

Over 40 games will be performed at the event, according to Vath Chamroeun, the organizing committee’s secretary-general. The games include: Dance sports, chess, cycling, athletics, canoe and rowing, Martial Arts Korea, fencing, muay, sailing, petanque, football, badminton, golf, basketball, soft tennis, karate, aquatics, kickboxing, volleyball to name but a few. 

Two significant events will occur in Cambodia before the start of the 32nd SEA Games. The first event is the 100-day countdown, which will happen towards the end of December’22. This will signal that there are just 100 days until the competition starts. The next major event will be a spectacular flame-igniting ceremony in which the flame will travel to all the Southeast Asian countries. before lighting the cauldron for the opening ceremony on May 5, 2023, inside the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

What Initiatives Are Being Taken To Prepare For The SEA 2023?

Cambodia has started a variety of initiatives that will ensure that international competition is conducted appropriately. One of these initiatives is the constructing an expressway linking Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, making it easier for spectators and athletes to attend events like water sports, sailing, and canoeing. This project is anticipated to be finished by March 2023,

The development of a brand-new sports complex in Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo neighborhood near National Road 5 is another plan to enhance the 32nd SEA Games competition. The Morodok Techo National Sports Complex will include a brand-new stadium that will be the focal point of most of the tournament’s contests.

The Morodok Techo National Stadium, a whopping $168 million integrated structure, made its debut in August 2021. It is the ideal location for a large-scale competition like the SEA Games because it can accommodate 60,000–75,000 people simultaneously.

What Role Is Thailand Playing To Assist Cambodia With The Competition?

The SEA Games are anticipated to be held in Thailand in 2025, and Thailand has already made a substantial contribution by helping Cambodia with their preparations. Officials from the Cambodian Swimming Federation are exploring a collaboration with the Thailand Swimming Association to enhance aquatic sports in Cambodia and prepare the nation to organize the SEA Games. 

According to association secretary-general Charoen Nopsuwan, as part of the initial stages of collaboration, Cambodia requested Thailand to send qualified coaches to assist in creating training plans for players from Cambodia in the sports of diving, swimming, and water polo.

Thai experts also train Cambodian boxers in preparation for the SEA Games in 2023. In the middle of July 2022, nine international boxers from Cambodia traveled to Thailand for in-depth training. Mr. Buy Sophoan, the general secretary of the Cambodia Boxing Federation (CBF), made the announcement.

Mr. Buy Sophoan said the CBF had trained 12 Cambodian professional boxers for the SEA Games. In addition, a Cambodian-Vietnamese boxer is just being coached in Vietnam, and a Cambodian-Thai boxer has been coached in Thailand, both of whom are members of the federation.

The federation will also propose that the Cambodian SEA Games Organizing Committee invite more elite coaches to teach Cambodian athletes. Mr. Buy Sophoan claims that the training is a crucial chance for the national athletes of Cambodia to enhance their readiness for the next competitions.

Given that they have made a name for themselves as a sporting superpower in Southeast Asia, Thailand is one of the games’ fiercest contenders in several competitions. As a result, experts believe that Cambodia would considerably benefit  from Thailand’s skills and expertise and will be able to successfully organize the SEA 2023 event with great zeal and zest.

Conclusion

According to all indications, the Southeast Asian Game 2023 Games held in the Kingdom of Cambodia will be a spectacular competition. Despite Cambodia never previously hosting the games, the cooperation with Thailand in preparation for the event has gone above and beyond expectations. This has benefited everyone involved, and had a very positive impact on the region.