Cambodia to Host 32nd Southeast Asian Games: May 5 - 17

11 nations to compete in over 589 events at historic SEA Games

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambodia is to host the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh from May 5th to 17th.  One of the world's most important sporting occasions, the SEA Games will bring together over five thousand athletes from the 11 countries of Southeast Asia, which has a population of over 675 million.  This is the first time that Cambodia will host the historic, biennial, multi-sport event.

Athletes will compete in 589 events across 38 sports, including soccer, gymnastics, golf, martial arts, esports, and aquatics.  The games will center around the specifically-constructed 60,000 seat Morodok Techo National Stadium in Khan Chroy Changvar, just outside the capital city of Phnom Penh.  The area has become a multi-purpose satellite city for numerous sporting events.

Minister of Tourism, President of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), and President of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) Council, H.E. Dr. Thong Khon, said, "I have the highest regard for all those competing in the SEA Games.  I look forward to welcoming the athletes, coaches, officials, and all international guests to our beautiful purpose-built Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, and to Cambodia - the Kingdom of Wonder.  I have no doubt that we shall demonstrate to the world that Southeast Asian athletes can compete at the highest levels."

Cambodian businessman, philanthropist, and owner of WorldBridge International, Mr. Rithy Sear oversaw the development of the 35,000ha WorldBridge Sports Village, the first large-scale Sports Village Project in Southeast Asia, with over 6,000 well-crafted condos, residential areas, a shopping mall, and sports museum adjacent to the Morodok Techo National Stadium.

Mr. Sear said, "The athletes and coaches at the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia will experience world-class living and training facilities, ensuring that they are well rested and can maintain their exercise and healthy-eating routines. I am proud that the WorldBridge Sports Village will leave a lasting legacy for Cambodia, providing a mixture of residential and commercial properties just a stone's throw from Phnom Penh."

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen will open the SEA Games at a ceremony on May 5, 2023.

Senior Minister of Public Works and Transport, H.E. Sun Chanthol, will collect the SEA Games torch at the border of Cambodia and Laos on April 27th, before embarking on a 5k run with the torch towards Phnom Penh.

The slogan for the 32nd SEA Games is "Sport: Live in Peace."  The logo for the games represents Angkor Wat, Cambodia's most famous tourist attraction and UNESCO heritage site.

The first SEA Games were held in Bangkok in 1959, with 500 athletes from 6 countries competing in 12 sports.  The games are regulated by the Southeast Asian Games Federation under supervision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The 2023 ASEAN Para Games for athletes with disabilities will be held at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh from June 3rd to 9th, 2023.

SOURCE The Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the United States