Hanoi SEA Games to be held mid-May 2022

The organizers of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) have agreed to hold the biennial meet in mid-May 2022.

The decision was reached after a meeting of the SEAG Federation on Monday, according to Philippine Olympic Committee president and Cavite Rep. Abraham Tolentino.

However, the organizers from Vietnam will still confirm the specific date.

Tolentino said the representative from Cambodia was hesitant at first to hold the Games in the said period because of the time it will take for them to prepare for the next edition of the regional event.

“Cambodia will host the 32nd edition in 2023 and they want to have at least a year’s window for them to prepare,” said Tolentino. “Initially, they wanted the opening ceremony to be on May 5 or earlier.” But after some convincing, Tolentino said the Cambodians agreed to open the SEAG a week after the initial schedule.

There will be lesser sports in this edition of the Games, having only 40 from the 54 which the 2019 edition in the Philippines hosted. There will also be 520 events from the previous 530.

The Philippines will compete in all but one sport, with at least 600 athletes flying to Vietnam to represent the Philippines.

Originally scheduled for November this year, the SEAG was postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

—JMB, GMA News