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32nd SEA Games countdown kicks off with ‘spectacular ceremony’

Thong Sotha​​   On August 11, 2020 - 10:50 am​   In Cambodia Insider  

More than a thousand sports officials, athletes, media, and other stakeholders gathered at the Morodok Techno National Stadium on Friday to join a spectacular, fireworks-studded ceremony marking the start of the 1,000-day countdown towards the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games.

Cambodia will be hosting Southeast Asia’s largest sporting event for the first time three years from now. The 32nd SEA Games will start on May 5, 2023, and will end 11 days later, with events held in Phnom Penh and several other provinces.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tea Banh, who is also the chairman of the SEA Games Organizing Committee (CAMSOC), lead the attendees, who also included Tourism Minister and CAMSOC Vice President Thong Khon and National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) Secretary-General Vath Chamroeun.

Also present were officials and representatives of various sports federations and members of the diplomatic corps.

In his welcome message, Dr. Thong Khon informed the audience of the work being done to prepare Cambodia for the big event.

“Taking this opportunity, I would like to inform the whole ceremony that CAMSOC has been working vigorously to implement the works in accordance with the Master Plan, Road Map, Working Program with his professions and working experiences in many major sporting events to reflect and synthesize the appropriate elements of the situation and context of the political, economic, social and reality of sports in Cambodia with the selection of local ingredients to enhance our competency to successfully organize and manage the 32nd SEA Games 2023 for the highest national honor,” he said.

In his message, Banh discussed the importance of the occasion.

“Today is another historic day in our journey towards the 32nd SEA Games 2023,” he said.

“This 1,000-day period is very important for us to ensure our readiness through strengthening our spirit, internal solidarity, understanding, and coherence between expert committees and other relevant parties so that we can move together forward and overcome any obstacles toward the 32nd SEA Games,” he added.

During the occasion, CAMSOC also awarded the winning designers of the SEA Games mascot and logo. For the logo design, the winner was Neang Visal, and the winning mascot design was courtesy of Ly Kim An.

The two of them each received almost $5,000, among other prizes and privileges.

The logo chosen features the golden Angkor Wat emblem, four different colored dragons, Southeast Asian Games Federation logo with 11 rings in gold and the words,”32nd SEA Games Cambodia 2023 Phnom Penh”.

The mascot, meanwhile, is one male rabbit named “Borey” and one female rabbit named “Rumduol”. “Borey” is seen holding a torch, while “Rumduol” is greeting the guests, symbolizing the welcoming and friendly attitude of Cambodians.

The motto for the 32nd SEA Games is “Sports Live in Peace”. CAMSOC explained that “There is peace only when sports are alive, sports are active and sports are developed. The 32nd SEA Games came about because Cambodia has peace as a promising factor. Without peace, there will be no rights to sports activities, rights to organize sports events, development, and SEA Games in Cambodia”.

The occasion also featured dancesport and Bokator performances.

The ceremony ended with the official countdown, with onstage fireworks accompanying it to great effect. Khmer Times

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