Siem Reap, Cambodia, March 21, 2023: King Norodom Sihamoni lit the SEA Games torch at Angkor Wat temple on the morning of Tuesday, March 21, marking the start of the torch relay for the 32nd SEA Games, reports the Phnom Penh Post.
The torch-lighting ceremony, which was timed to coincide with the Angkor Wat equinox, was attended by several members of the Cambodian leadership, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, Minister of National Defence Tea Banh and Minister of Interior Sar Kheng, along with sporting delegations from the ASEAN nations.
Dato’ Seri Chaiyapak Siriwat, CEO of the SEA Games Federation, and Osoth Bhavilai, ASEAN Para Sports Federation Executive Committee President, also witnessed the historic event.
The torch-lighting ceremony was held directly in front of the famed Angkor Wat Temple, just 45 days before the opening ceremony of the biennial multi-sports event, being hosted for the first time in the Kingdom of Wonder. The magnificent temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
Following the lighting, the torch was relayed around the Angkor Archaeological Park by nine Cambodian athletes.
The torch will leave Cambodia on March 22 to tour the 10 Southeast Asian nations which will participate in the games. It will return to the Kingdom on April 27 ahead of the 32nd SEA Games opening ceremony on May 5 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The games will run to May 17 and will be followed by the 12th ASEAN Para Games.
His Excellency Dr. Thong Khon, NOC Cambodia President and Minister of Tourism, commented: “The Torch Relay has a deep meaning as a symbol of life force.”
