Manama, Bahrain, May 16, 2025: The 2029 Asian Youth Games in Cambodia will provide the country with another opportunity to showcase and promote the Southeast Asian nation to the world according to Cambodian Chef de Mission Sokvisal Nhan.
“We thank the Olympic Council of Asia for giving us hosting rights. It will be a great opportunity to promote our country to the world again,” Nhan noted.
Cambodia hosted the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in 2023.
For Nhan, the first Chefs de Mission meeting for the 3rd AYG in Bahrain, was an important mission.
“We are here on a learning mission, and these past two days have been very important for us as we try to soak in all information from the Bahrain organisers,” says Nhan, who is also the Director of Games Department at the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.
He is confident that his country will put on a good show in 2029 when the AYG will be held across three cities – the capital Phnom Penh, Siam Reap Angkor and Sihanoukville.
“This will be the biggest multi-sporting event we will be hosting in our country, but we are confident we will be able to successfully host the games as we have all the sports facilities already in place,” Nhan noted.
“At the SEA Games in 2023, we had 11 countries. But the Asian Youth Games will have 45 Asian NOCs attending so it will be four times bigger,” Nhan pointed out.
Cambodia signed a host city contract with the Olympic Council of Asia at the 40th General Assembly in Dubai in November, 2021.
When the flag of the next host country is passed on to Cambodia during the Closing Ceremony of the 3rd Asian Youth Games on October 31, Nhan will be expecting a transfer of knowledge too from the Bahrain organisers, and he knows the OCA will always be there to give a helping hand.
Cambodia is expected to field a delegation of more than 200, including around 120 athletes, at the Bahrain AYG from October 22-31. They will take part in 18 of the 24 sports. The country’s main medal hopes will be in martial arts sports.
Photo: OCA