PHNOM PENH, May 2 — Three days remain until the official opening ceremony of the 2023 South East Asian (SEA) Games takes place this Friday (May 5), and yet the hosts seem to be struggling to complete the various related facilities and venues, including the athletes’ main village, located at the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex, around half-an-hour’s journey from here.
Although the athletes are currently housed in six blocks of white apartments, located almost 200 metres from the Morodok Techo Stadium, there are some uncompleted apartment units, along with other signs of rushed work, such as dust-filled spaces and unremoved stickers on newly-installed windows.
Checks by Bernama also found contractors busy putting up several posters of the Games’ mascots, twin rabbits named Borey and Rumdoul, at the 3,000 seating-capacity aquatic centre, while workers were spotted painting the main entrance area of the US$161 million (RM718.4) Morodok Techo National Sports Complex, specially built for the SEA Games.
But the most telling sign would be the AZ Group Cricket Oval, which remained incomplete as of this morning, even though the sports event had begun on Saturday (April 29).
The field surface is uneven and spotty, and workers were hard at work installing barriers to ‘wall off’ the venue as it was an open location next to the busy Hun Sen Boulevard.
Such a situation would certainly be uncomfortable for athletes and spectators, who have to deal with the hot sun as there is no roof covering the seats at the venue.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s deputy chef-de-mission Sharon Wee said that the existing apartment units housing Malaysian athletes were in good condition.
She said she understands the hosts were trying their best to organise the SEA Games for the first time.
“Malaysian athletes are all well, safe and focused on their events,” Wee told Bernama.
The 2023 SEA Games is the 32nd edition of the Games, and will end this May 17.
— Bernama
