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The 32nd Southeast Asian Games held in Cambodia
Ta Prohm temple
I am so excited at the fact the Southeast Asian Games will take place in the country I call my home. My beloved Cambodia.
From the 5th of May to the 17th of May the region’s best athletes will compete in some of the country’s most beautiful surroundings.
Most events will take place in the capital city of Phnom Penh but there are five host venues in total.
One of the most spectacular places is the World Heritage Site of Angkor Wat.
Historic success.
The boats
As the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games approaches. Many officials are very excited.
The Kingdom has waited 64 years to host the biennial multi-sports extravaganza. So many are hoping this May will end with a huge historic success.
As nearly ten thousand foreigners will compete at the upcoming games. But many more will be here as supporters and fans.
Cambodia 2023
40 sports have been approved for 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
Brunei, Vietnam and Laos included 21, 32 and 29 sports respectively when they first hosted the Games.
This year’s Games in Vietnam will also see 40 sports being competed.
“Cambodia has waited for 64 years to be able to host the SEA Games 2023, and we are committed to ensuring that our hosting of this regional multi-sport event will be successful,” Hun Sen said.
The 40 approved sports are –
Athletics, aquatics, badminton, basketball, boxing, billiards, cycling, canoe and rowing, chess, dance sports, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate, Muay, petanque, sailing, Sepak Takraw, soft tennis, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, Triathlon, volleyball, wrestling, weightlifting, Wushu, Arnis, body building, E-sports, floorball, Jiujitsu, Jetski, kick boxing, Kun Bokator, Vovinam, and Martial Arts Korea.
The participating countries are –
(Southeast Asian Games Federation)
Brunei
Cambodia (Host)
East Timor
Indonesia
Laos
Malaysia
Myanmar
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Vietnam
The torch
On Tuesday 21st of March, King Norodom Sihamoni graciously lit the 2023 SEA games torch. Using the secret flame then passing the flame to the torch.
This maraculous event took place at magnificent Angkor Wat.
This is to mark the start of the torch relay for the 32nd SEA Games.
The date deliberately coincided with the equinox in which the sunrise aligns with the central spire of Angkor Wat, a phenomenon which occurs twice a year.
The following day, the torch left Cambodia to tour the 10 Southeast Asian nations participating in the game.
The torch relay
The top of the torch was designed to reflect the symbol of the Rumduol (Khmer: រំដួល) The Kingdom of Cambodia’s national fragrant flowe.
The height of the torch is 75 cm and weighs slightly over one kilogram.
It is a gold plated colour as this shows that Kingdom of Cambodia and its people have risen to the top.
The design on the handle of the torch is filled with multiple Kbach Chan.
These are connected together to signify the unity in achieving peace and success for the country and South East Asia community.
Below is the list of the torch relay run dates in each country:
| 24th March 1.Vietnam 27th March 2.Philippines 1st April 3.Indonesia | 4th April 4.East Timor 11th April 5.Malaysia 15th April 6.Singapore | 17th April 7.Thailand 21st April 8.Myanmar 25th April 9.Laos |
This is a very high-profile occasion for Cambodia.
Holding an event like this is amazing for Cambodia. especially due to its very heartbreaking history.
Cambodia’s history is the reason why I decided to call this amazing country my home.
Minister of Tourism Thong Khon – who also serves as permanent vice-president of the national committees for organising the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games (CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC) – affirmed that Cambodia’s preparations have been making good progress and the committees fully expect the Kingdom will be well-positioned to succeed as hosts. Says the Phnom Penh post.
I get to watch them build the areas every day as I walk my dogs to the riverfront. I also get to talk to many of the people organising the events.
Development and preparation
Following the host selection announcement, Prime Minister Hun Sen approved the final design of the game’s main stadium.
During a state visit by Hun Sen to Beijing in May 2014, China’s leader Xi Jinping promised to fund the construction of the main stadium of the new multi-purpose sports complex in the Satellite City of Phnom Penh in Khan Chroy Jong Va.
The 60,000-seat main stadium, which is estimated to cost about ៛157 million was built by a Chinese construction firm, with a Chinese grant covering the entire project.
A multipurpose arena, the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex will house an Olympic swimming pool, an outdoor football pitch, a running track, tennis courts and dormitories for athletes.
Development and preparation in Kampot
Kampot will be hosting the traditional boat races from the 13th of May until the 16th of May.
The Traditional Boat Race (TBR), is also known as dragon boat racing in many parts of the world.
Traditional Boat Race (TBR) involves short races in boats painted to resemble a dragon.
In the SEA Games, each boat is powered by crews of either six or 12 rowers, supported by a steersperson, who issues commands to the paddlers, and a drummer.
These entail –
Men’s TBR 5 crews (U24) 250m
Men’s TBR 5 crews (U24) 500m
Men’s TBR 5 crews (U24) 800m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (U24) 250m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (U24) 500m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (U24) 800m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (Open) 250m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (Open) 500m
Men’s TBR 12 crews (Open) 800m
Women’s TBR 3 crews (U24) 250m
Mixed TBR 12 crews (U24) 250m
Mixed TBR 12 crews (U24) 500m
Mixed TBR 12 crews (U24) 800m
Hence, I am lucky as every day
As I walk the dogs to the riverfront. I get to watch all the preperations.
Which allows me to take some photographs too. That’s if the dogs are not barking at me to throw the sticks in the river.
I also clean the beach whilst I am playing with the dogs. As I love to help people and animals.
I have had the pleasure of talking to many of the different experts in their fields. Who has been helping to train the Cambodian national team?
This lovely man below in the dark blue top has had them doing hardcore exercising every morning.
You should see their faces. They are not always happy exercising so hard in 33-degree heat. But, that just proves the determination of Cambodians.
Kampot
Building the start
Usually, in Cambodia every year we have boats races. This is during the water festival ion November.
The water festival or Bon Oum Touk. Locals flock from across the country for three days to the capital Phnom Penh. To watch the colourful boat races on the Tonle Sap river.
The water festival follows the Buddhist calender. The event falls on the full moon of the month of kadeuk ( The eleventh month of the solar calender.)
This full moon is the Harvest moon and is belived to deliver bountiful rice crops.
The royal water festival celebrate a rare and natural phenomenon known as the reversal of the Tonle Sap river. In Novemebr at the end of the annual monssomn the tonle sapo reaches its maximum size.
River boat races mean a lot to Cambodians. So, I am sure this years SEA games will be a moment that will not be forgotten for many years to come.
Angkor Wat will host the marathon and road race
But Angkor Wat’s part is not done yet.
The World Heritage Site, situated just outside the town of Siem Reap, will also host the marathon, the 20km walk, and the road cycling race.
I ran the Seam Reap half marathon not long after my brain damage. I wanted to raise money to help Cambodia in many different ways that I could. Especially the children and animals. As many people helped me when I needed it. So it was my time to pay it forward.
The Kulen Mountains surrounding Siem Reap, will also provide the backdrop for mountain biking.
Ticketing, Broadcasting and Accommodations
On 31st of March Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced all tickets for the Southeast Asian Games will be free – free tickets. This will be for both Cambodians and foreigners.
But the fans must book the ticket before each match to watch inside the stadium.
Also international broadcasters will not be charged for live television rights to cover the 608 events in 37 sports on offer.
“We spent millions of U.S. dollars and we have spent many years to organize this event; therefore, how can we sell tickets to our own people? Said Hun Sen.
Cambodia will also fully cover spending on food and accommodation services for sport delegations.
Delegates from all 11 countries participating in the SEA Games and the ASEAN Para Games were not required to pay $50 per person per day as had been the case with previous hosts.
The decision to cover the costs was to increase the warm friendships and lead to success as the host of the first SEA Games in history.
The sports
Sea games Cambodia
| Aquatics Diving Swimming Finswimming Water polo Athletics Badminton Basketball 3×3 Basketball Basketball Billiards Boxing Chess Xiangqi Ouk chaktrang Cricket | Cycling Mountain cycling Road cycling Dancesport Esports Endurance race Fencing Floorball Football Golf Gymnastics Aerobic Artistic | Hockey Field hockey Indoor hockey Jet ski Judo Karate Martial arts Arnis Ju-jitsu Kickboxing Kun bokator Kun Khmer Vovinam Obstacle race Pétanque | Pencak silat Sailing Sepak takraw Soft tennis Table tennis Taekwondo Tennis Traditional boat race Triathlon Volleyball Beach Volleyball Volleyball Weightlifting Wrestling Wushu Demonstration sports Teqball |
Teqball
Teqball will also feature as a demonstration event.
Alongside the 47 official sports at the SEA Games 2023.
Teqball will also feature as a demonstration event. The football-based game – played on a specially-curved table of similar dimensions to the table tennis version.
Sees players rally a ball back and forth using any part of the body (except arms and hands) until a point is won.
Played in a singles or doubles format, a number of world-class footballers have been attracted to the game, including teqball ambassador Ronaldinho.
The Brazilian World Cup-winner and Olympic bronze medallist describes Teqball as his passion.
Having been added to the programmes of the postponed Sanya 2021 Asian Beach Games, taking place this year.
Also the 2023 Kraków-Małopolska European Games in Poland from 21 June to 2 July.
The sport has also set its sights on potential Olympic inclusion.
SEA Games Cambodia 2023 schedule
Calendar
Cambodia 2023 runs from Friday 5 May until Wednesday 17 May. Some team events start ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Saturday 29 April.
The 12th ASEAN Para Games will run from Saturday 3 to Friday 9 June 2023 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The schedule -
| OC | Opening ceremony | ● | Event competitions | 1 | Gold medal events | CC | Closing ceremony |
| April/May 2023 | April | May | Events | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sat | 30 Sun | 1 Mon | 2 Tue | 3 Wed | 4 Thu | 5 Fri | 6 Sat | 7 Sun | 8 Mon | 9 Tue | 10 Thu | 11 Fri | 12 Sat | 13 Sun | 14 Mon | 15 Tue | 16 Thu | 17 Wed | |||
 Ceremonies | OC | CC | |||||||||||||||||||
| Athletics | 4 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 47 | ||||||||||||||
| Aquatics | Diving | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Finswimming | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | |||||||||||||||||
| Swimming | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 40 | ||||||||||||||
| Water Polo | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Badminton | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||
| Basketball | 5×5 Basketball | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 3×3 Basketball | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Billiards | ● | ● | 3 | 2 | ● | 2 | ● | 2 | 9 | ||||||||||||
| Boxing | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 17 | 17 | |||||||||||
| Chess | Xiangqi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ● | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Ouk chaktrang | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 4 | ● | ● | ● | 4 | ||||||||||
| Cricket | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | ● | 1 | ● | 1 | 2 | 8 | |||
| Cycling | Road Race | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
| Mountain Biking | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
 Dancesport | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
 Esports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 16 | ||||||||||
| Fencing | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||||||||||||||
| Floorball | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Football | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| Golf | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| Gymnastics | Artistic | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 16 | |||||||||||||||
| Aerobic | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hockey | Field | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| Indoor | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Jet ski | ● | ● | 1 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| Judo | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
| Karate | 6 | 9 | 2 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||
| Martial Arts | Arnis | 4 | 4 | 4 | ● | 12 | |||||||||||||||
| Jujitsu | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| Kickboxing | ● | ● | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| Kun bokator | 6 | ● | ● | 14 | ● | ● | 20 | ||||||||||||||
| Kun Khmer | 2 | ● | ● | ● | ● | 17 | 19 | ||||||||||||||
| Vovinam | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | ||||||||||||||||
| Obstacle race | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||
 Pencak silat | ● | ● | 6 | ● | 16 | 22 | |||||||||||||||
| Pétanque | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ● | 2 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| Sailing | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||||
| Sepak takraw | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | 2 | 20 | |||||||||
| Soft tennis | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
| Table tennis | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | 3 | ● | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Taekwondo | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 24 | ||||||||||||||||
| Tennis | ● | ● | ● | 2 | ● | ● | ● | 3 | 2 | 7 | |||||||||||
| Traditional boat race | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||
| Triathlon / Duathlon / Aquathlon | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| Volleyball | Indoor | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| Beach | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Weightlifting | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wrestling | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wushu | 4 | 4 | 14 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Demonstration Event | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Teqball | ● | ● | 5 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||
The edition of the schedule was published by National Olympic Committee of Cambodia.
All times and dates use Cambodian Standard Time (UTC+7)
Thailand’s kit is made of recycled plastic
The jerseys worn by Thai athletes at the SEA Games Cambodia 2023 are made of recycled plastic bottles. Revealed Thiti Pluckchaoom, managing director of kit manufacturer Grand Sport.
He said the initiative raises awareness about global warming and mitigates waste. These shirts are personalised for athletes in different sports. They are also providing an environmentally-friendly memento of the Games.
The concept of “Beyond The Spirit, Beyond Sportswear”, parallels the athlete spirit.
This is also shown throughout their careers, not only when competing.
Takeaway
Here are some great books to read
About Cambodia
If you would like to know more about Cambodia and its history, please read these books.
The first book is by a Cambodian author. Chenda Keo. He discovered that human trafficking was a serious social problem that needed to be urgently and effectively addressed. He began his work by interviewing 17 trafficked children. Surprisingly he found that none of these children considered themselves trafficking victims.
The second book was written by my lovely friend Kate. Who sadly recently passed, due to an illness.
- A book about human trafficking: Human Trafficking in Cambodia by Chenda Keo
- A book about Cambodia: Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
- A book about the history of Cambodia: A History of Cambodia by David Chandler
- A book from a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist: Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land by Joel Brinkley
- A book about a younger trained as a soldier for the Khmer Rouge: First They Killed My Father
- A book about being in S-21, the prison during the Khmer Rouge: A Cambodian Prison Portrait by Vann Nath
- A book about the leader of the Khmer Rouge: Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare by Philip Short
- A book about a survivor of the Cambodian holocaust: Survival in the Killing Fields Haing Ngor
- A book about two sisters reuniting after the Khmer Rouge: Lucky Child by Loung Ung
- A book about surviving under the Khmer Rouge: When Broken Glass Floats by Chanrithy Him
