All About Cambodia Hosting SEA Games 32 in 2023

Updated May 5, 2023

HAPPENING TODAY: The long wait is over! Cambodia is set to officially open the 32nd SEA Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium this evening — a historic event in the Kingdom after 64 years.

The opening ceremony will led by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, together with the support of his spouse, as well as some Cambodian high-ranking officials, civil servants, and local and international guests.

Alongside the opening, various performances from renowned artists, singers and dances will also be held in celebration of the most historic event in Phnom Penh. Under its main slogan “Sports: Live in Peace,” Cambodia will be hosting the 32nd SEA Games from May 5 to 17, and the 12th ASEAN Para Games from June 3 to 9.

FREE ENTRY & ACCOMMODATION

The Cambodian SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games Organizing Committees (CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC) announced last April that the Kingdom is providing free entry for the spectators, free accommodation and food for sport delegates, and free broadcasting rights for media partners. This decision was made under Prime Minister Hun Sen’s instruction.

The Vice Chairman of CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC, Dr. Thong Khon, stated in a letter sent to National Olympic Committees (NOCs), “This decision and leadership by Prime Minister Hun Sen further affirm the Kingdom of Cambodia’s commitment to hosting our regional sports family and international guests in neighborly environment of friendship.”

Cambodia Hosting the 32nd SEA Games

Vietnam is now passing the torch of hosting the popular competitive sport among Southeast Asian countries, the SEA Games, to Cambodia in the coming 2023 tournament. Since it’s the first time that Cambodia will be hosting the SEA games, a number of events and projects are currently being developed in preparation for it.

The Southeast Asian games are one of the most prestigious tournaments with a variety of sports that these countries compete in. Currently, the participating nations in the 32nd SEA Games, are the following:

Indonesia
Philippines
Singapore
Malaysia
Brunei
Laos
Myanmar
Timor-Leste
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia

All of these countries are part of the Southeast Asian Games Federation and participate in the SEA Games that are held every two years.

SEA Games 32: Exhilarating competitive sports in Southeast Asia

The SEA Games have been a competition played between Southeast Asian countries since it was first launched back in 1959, wherein Thailand hosted it first. Following that, numerous countries are tasked to host the games although there are some that pull out of their duties due to external factors. This time, however, Cambodia will be holding the 32nd SEA Games on May 5 to 16 in 2023.

Back in 1963, Cambodia was slated to host the 1963 edition of the tournament but had to drop out due to political difficulties and lack of financial resources. Now, 60 years later, Cambodia is more prepared than ever. Read below to learn more about the details of the 32nd SEA Games.

Theme & Logo

The main slogan and theme in the 2023 SEA Games 32 is “Sport: Live in Peace” which fully represents promotion of friendship, peace, and camaraderie among the Southeast Asian nations. This theme was announced during the ceremony back on August 7, 2020 to officially start the countdown for the 32nd SEA Games.

At this time, the logo for the tournament was also revealed which features the historic and renowned Angkor Wat as well as four dragons that perfectly represents Cambodia. The four dragons have yellow, green, red and blue colors intertwined with each other which represents the diversity of the countries participating in the games as well as their unity.

Moreover, the mascot for the tournament was revealed to be two rabbits in red and blue Cambodian uniforms.

Sports to be played

The Secretary General of the Cambodian SEA Games Organizing Committee (CAMSOC), Vath Chamroeun, revealed that there will be more than 40 games played in the tournament. It is expected that more than 7,000 athletes will be competing in the said games.

The games that will be played in the tournament have already been released which are the following:

Martial Arts Korea
Athletics
Cycling
Canoe and rowing
Chess
Muay
Petanque
Sailing
Dance sports
Fencing
Aquatics
Football
Karate
Sepak Takraw
Soft tennis
Badminton
Basketball
Golf
Gymnastics
Hockey
Judo
Boxing
Billiards
Tennis
Kun Bokator
Vovinam
Jetski
Kickboxing
Volleybal
Wrestling
Weightlifting
Wushu
Arnis
Bodybuilding
E-sports
Floorball
Jiujitsu
Table tennis
Taekwondo
Triathlon

Three Cambodian national sports are also included in SEA Games 2023 namely Kun Lbokator, Kun Khmer and Khmer Chess. “It is a pride for the host country, so on behalf of the host country, we have included these sports,” Vath Chamroeun, Chief Executive Officer of CAMSOC, said on a press conference.

Prior to the launch of the 32nd SEA Games, two major events will be held in Cambodia to celebrate the upcoming tournament. The first of the events is the 100-days countdown that will occur in 2022 in late December, signifying that there are only one hundred days left until the competition begins.

The second major event will be a flame ignition ceremony that will be lit and passed to the other Southeast Asian countries before its final stop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where the tournament will be held. This will occur between January to February of 2023 before the flame is ignited in time for the opening ceremony of the tournament.

Which cities and provinces will SEA Games 32 be hosted?

According to CAMSOC Secretary General Chamroeun, five cities and provinces will host the different games of the 32nd SEA Games. These five areas are the following with the sports that are slated to be played there:

Phnom Penh → The capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, is expected to host most of the 40 games for the 32nd SEA Games.
Siem Reap → Tourist capital Siem Reap will be hosting the cycling competition for the tournament
Preah Sihanouk → Commonly known as Sihanoukville, the capital city of Preah Sihanouk province, is expected to host the Jet Ski and Sailing competitions.
Kep province → The Kep province, which is the smallest one in Cambodia, is expected to host the Triathlon matches.
Kampot → The city of Kampot, located in the south, will be hosting the canoe, kayak, and traditional boating competitions.

Construction projects for SEA Games

In preparation for the multinational competition, Cambodia has launched numerous projects that will make sure the tournament is held properly. One of these projects is the expressway connecting Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville which will help bring people and athletes to watch watersports competitions like canoeing and sailing. This project is expected to be completed by March 2023, two months ahead of the tournament.

Another project slated to make the 32nd SEA Games tournament better is the construction of a new sports complex in Phnom Penh close to the National Road 5 at the Russey Keo district. The complex is named as the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex and will include a new stadium that will be the centerpiece of most competitions in the tournament.

This $168 million integral stadium is dubbed as the Morodok Techo National Stadium that was first opened in August 2021. It can hold 60,000 up to 75,000 people at once, making it the perfect venue for a large-scale tournament like the SEA Games.