Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 3, 2023: The Olympic Movement in Asia will mark another major milestone this week when the Kingdom of Cambodia hosts the 32nd edition of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games from May 5-17.
Not only will this be the first time in history that Cambodia has organised the 11-nation regional sports festival since its inception in 1959, SEA Games 32 will also showcase a gleaming new sports hub on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh.
The focal point is the striking Morodok Techo National Stadium, which was completed in May 2021 and has a capacity of 60,000. It will host the opening ceremony on Friday, May 5, the closing ceremony on May 17 and the athletics competition.
The complex also includes an aquatics centre with a seating capacity of 3,000, an indoor sports building for volleyball and basketball and sports halls for table tennis and badminton.
The main operations office for the SEA Games is also located within the complex, while the newly-constructed Sports Village with 6,100 beds for athletes and officials is just a short walk away.
The vast grounds of the new stadium were the setting for the team welcome ceremony in the bright early morning sunshine of Wednesday, May 3, when the 11 NOCs were each represented by a delegation of 32 athletes and officials to acknowledge the significance of the 32nd SEA Games.
As well as the flag-hoisting, anthems and exchange of souvenir gifts, there was also a feeling of regional pride and goodwill for Cambodia on this historic occasion.
The NOCs have shown their support by sending 5,053 athletes, while a strong media presence of 2,070 includes 1,443 press and photographers and over 600 broadcasting staff.
This will be the second SEA Games within a year, as Vietnam hosted the 31st SEA Games last May – an event postponed from 2021 due to the pandemic.
The 11 NOCs taking part are Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and Cambodia.