The Thailand Sports Organizing Committee (THASOC) has sent an official letter to the President of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, expressing its apologies for the mistakes that occurred during the organization and broadcasting of some events at the 33rd SEA Games .

Dr. Gongsak Yodmani – Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand and Secretary-General of THASOC, stated that the host organizing committee acknowledged and clarified the two unfortunate mistakes that occurred, while affirming its willingness to learn, its responsibility, and its commitment to preventing similar incidents from recurring.

"We once again offer our sincere apologies to the President of the Vietnam Olympic Committee and all relevant parties for any inconvenience caused, demonstrating our sense of responsibility and goodwill in preserving the image and prestige of the largest sporting event in Southeast Asia," the letter stated.

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The Vietnamese sports delegation at the opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games. Photo: SN

THASOC has acknowledged the inaccurate depiction of Vietnam's territorial map in its third performance, "We Are One – Connected by the SEA," at the Opening Ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games, held on the evening of December 9th at the Rajamangala National Stadium. In this performance, the map of Vietnam did not include the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, or Phu Quoc Island.

The Organizing Committee of the 33rd SEA Games recognizes this as a particularly sensitive issue, directly related to national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and has caused discomfort to the Vietnamese side. In addition, THASOC apologizes for the technical incident during the live broadcast of the 3x3 basketball event, where the technical team mistakenly displayed the national flags of the participating teams, specifically Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines, and Vietnam, causing concern and frustration among the participating nations.

THASOC affirms that it does not take the aforementioned errors lightly and will closely coordinate with relevant parties to rectify them, while strengthening technical review and control to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future. The host country's organizing committee is committed to paying attention to every detail in the organization, ensuring respect, standards, and proper conduct for all participating countries.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/btc-sea-games-xin-loi-su-co-sai-sot-hinh-anh-lanh-tho-viet-nam-2472296.html