Tea Banh to construction firm: Prioritise ‘sports village’
MINISTER of National Defence Tea Banh, who also heads the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), has urged the construction company and commission overseeing work on the “sports village” to accelerate the process and finish in a timely manner well before the opening of the games in May.
The site of the sports village will be situated nearby Morodok Techo National Stadium, the main sporting venue for the SEA Games
Tea Banh said he had inspected the construction of the village and convened a meeting with relevant sides, especially executives and foremen from the builder, on January 31. He was accompanied by Minister of Tourism and CAMSOC permanent vice-president Thong Khon.
Following the inspection, CAMSOC secretary-general Vath Chamroeun said the construction of the village would move forward at a faster pace with nearly 3,000 workers now assigned to the project
“It will be a serious problem and will pose many risks if we don’t complete the construction of this sports village as planned,” he said.
He added that the village will accommodate between 6,000 athletes and 7,000 athletes, so it is important that the quality of the work be excellent and that the organisers in charge of the
games have the opportunity to inspect it before they arrive.
Tea Banh said that he trusted the company behind the construction, WorldBridge Group, would accelerate the plans and complete the work in a timely manner now that they have discussed the urgency of the situation with all stakeholders.
“We are convinced that there is a high level of commitment on the construction firm side to complete this project by March 30 in preparation for
hosting the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games,” he said.
Chamroeun said the quality of the village is important for Cambodia to show honour and prestige as the host country, and that whether or not it is qualified according to International Olympic standards, the country must attempt to organise the event at that level.
“In the past, some countries had organised accommodations and meals at hotels. Such an arrangement is not an
Olympic standard preparation practice. The spirit of the International Olympic Committee is that the international athletes must stay in this sports village because it encourages interaction and builds the Olympic movement further.
“So this sports village is a testament to the national honour and prestige of the host country and also an important means for us to guarantee all of the athletes’ safety,” he added.