Mr. Vath Chamroeun - Photo: OCA
On the afternoon of August 5th, the Thai newspaper Khaosod published information stating that the Thai Olympic Committee confirmed Cambodia's decision to cut the number of athletes participating in the 33rd SEA Games – the SEA Games to be held in Thailand in early December – by 96%.
Just a few hours later, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) officially issued a statement denying the claim.
Vath Chamroeun, the general secretary of the NOCC, affirmed that there had been no decision regarding a reduction in the number of competing players, contrary to reports in the Thai media.
Speaking to the Phnom Penh Post that afternoon, Mr. Chamroeun clarified: “We have never announced a reduction in the number of athletes and do not know where the figure of 57 people participating in the SEA Games came from.”
The Cambodian national sports delegation is currently still preparing according to the original plan.
Mr. Chamroeun also emphasized that the current border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand will not affect the country's SEA Games campaign, and affirmed that sports should not be dominated by political factors or conflict.
Previously, several major Thai newspapers, such as Thairath and Thai Enquirer, simultaneously published information claiming that Cambodia had reduced the number of athletes from approximately 1,515 to only 57, a decrease of 96%. It is understood that this information was initially published by the Khaosod newspaper.
According to these sources, the reason given is concern for security issues following border tensions between the two countries at the end of July.
Some Thai sports officials even suggested banning Cambodia from the Games, but this proposal was rejected as it violated the Olympic Charter.
The chairman of the Southeast Asian Games Council, Chaiyaphak Siriwat, stated that no country has the right to unilaterally remove a member from a regional sporting event.
The Phnom Penh Post article further states that the NOCC is continuing to finalize the list of athletes for the 33rd SEA Games and will announce it at the appropriate time.
"All the athletes are actively training. We haven't released any specific numbers yet, and once the list is finalized, we will send it to the SEA Games organizing committee within the deadline," Chamroeun emphasized.
The 33rd SEA Games are scheduled to take place from December 9 to 20, 2025, in three cities of Thailand: Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla.
There are growing concerns about the security of the 33rd SEA Games, as Thailand and Cambodia have yet to reach an agreement following their conflict at the end of July. The safety of the Cambodian sports delegation at this event is considered a major issue.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/campuchia-noi-thai-lan-dua-tin-sai-su-that-vu-cat-giam-vdv-o-sea-games-2025080517232652.htm
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