Hanoi, Vietnam, May 22, 2022: A new era in Cambodian sport will officially begin at the closing ceremony of the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on Monday, May 23.
The flag of the SEA Games will be passed from Vietnam to Cambodia as Phnom Penh prepares to stage the biennial event for the first time in history in May 2023.
It is going to be an historic moment for Cambodia,” says Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia and Chief Executive Officer of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC).
“The 32nd SEA Games in 2023 will project Cambodia as a peaceful country and will give us the opportunity to welcome athletes, officials and spectators from all over the southeast Asia region and beyond for the first time.”
The 32nd SEA Games will run from May 5-17 in the capital Phnom Penh and four co-host cities: Siem Reap (marathon, cycling road race and mountain bike), Sihanoukville (sailing, jet ski and beach volleyball), Kampot (canoe-kayak, rowing and traditional boat race) and Kep (triathlon, aquathlon and duathlon).
The main sports hub of the 32nd SEA Games will be the newly built Morodok Techo sports complex which includes the main stadium for football and track and field, the aquatics complex for swimming and diving, as well as badminton, table tennis, tennis and hockey.
The President of NOC Cambodia, Minister of Tourism Dr Thong Khon, will combine sport and tourism to attract more visitors to Cambodia, not only for the SEA Games but also for the long-term future of the tourism and sports industry. This future is already bright from the perspective of the Olympic movement.
Phnom Penh will host the next SEA Games Federation Council meeting from July 11-13 before the Olympic Council of Asia comes to town for the 41st OCA General Assembly on October 4, preceded by an Executive Board meeting on October 3. Cambodia will also host the OCA’s Asian Youth Games in 2029, following Tashkent, Uzbekistan in 2025.
The SEA Games torch will be lit at the famous Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on February 12 and will tour the other 10 countries in the region before heading back to Cambodia for the opening ceremony on May 5.
CAMSOC has set a detailed timeline for the sport entry process, countdown ceremonies and meetings of team leaders ahead of the May 5 opening ceremony, and the flag handover ceremony in Hanoi on May 23 will mark the official start of “Cambodia time”.