Vietnam to host delayed episode next year
Vietnam has confirmed it will host the delayed 31st SEA Games in May next year, Thai officials said yesterday.
The nation’s representative told other member countries of its decision during a virtual meeting, according to Chaipak Siriwat, COO of the Bangkokbased SEA Games Federation (SEAGF).
The Vietnamese official said the event, featuring 11 SEAGF member nations, will take place in mid-May and the exact date will be determined later.
Participants at the meeting agreed to the decision and told the Vietnamese to officially inform the federation by the end of this month, Chaipak said.
Thailand’s representatives at yesterday’s meeting included National Olympic Committee of Thailand (NOCT) officials Charouck Arirachakaran, Thana Chaiprasit and Charoen Wattanasin.
Earlier, SEAGF members had warned Vietnam that it needed to unveil its plans for the event by the end of this month or the Games would be cancelled as Cambodia is slated to host the 2023 tournament.
The 31st SEA Games were originally scheduled to be held in Hanoi in November and December this year but have been postponed due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Vietnam previously hosted the multisport competition in 2003 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The last edition was held in the Philippines in 2019.