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The 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have opened in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh with sporting action already underway.

Athletes from the competing 11 nations - the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Timor-Leste - tonight paraded through Phnom Penh’s 60,000-seat US$160 million Morodok Techo National Stadium.

With Cambodia hosting the Games for the first time, the more than 11,000 athletes, coaches and delegates are taking part in a host of competitions including athletics, swimming, badminton and football, as well as obstacle racing and jet skiing and more obscure sports such as Kun Lbokator - an ancient Cambodian martial art.

In total 581 medals are on offer, more than at the Olympics.

The Cambodia Government is hoping the SEA Games will have benefits beyond the two weeks the country plays host, with Tourism Minister Thong Khon, who is also President of the National Olympic Committee, stating “the Games will not only promote sports but also boost Cambodia’s tourism in the post-COVID-pandemic era.”

To encourage attendances, tickets for all events have been made available free while all schools and universities will close for a month so students can watch Games competition and subsequent SEA Para Games.

The 2023 SEA Games run until 17th May.

Images: Fireworks erupt above the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh during the opening ceremony for the 2023 SEA Games (top) and th host nation secure a volleyball medal on the first day of competition (below). Images credit Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia.

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