Cambodia withdraws all competitions from SEA Games 33

Cambodia will no longer have any members participating in the 33rd SEA Games.

According to Siamsport , the 137-member Cambodian delegation received an urgent directive from high-ranking leaders in the country to consider withdrawing immediately. The reason stemmed from escalating tensions in the Thai-Cambodian border area, causing Phnom Penh to worry about the safety of the athletes as well as the return journey of the entire delegation.

Although Cambodia expressed its gratitude for the friendly and thoughtful welcome from host country Thailand, security issues were considered the ultimate concern, forcing them to end their journey to compete at this SEA Games earlier than expected.

Regional sports officials said Cambodia is expected to send an official notice of withdrawal to the SEA Games Organizing Committee at around 11am on December 10. This decision will cause major disruption to the competition schedule in many sports and pose an urgent adjustment problem for the technical committees.

Cambodia’s sudden move has also raised concerns about the wider impact, given the ongoing border tensions between the two countries. Several regional sports federations are closely monitoring the situation in case it affects other teams.

The 33rd SEA Games therefore opened with an unexpected development, when a security incident – which had not appeared in recent Games – suddenly became the focus. The Organizing Committee is expected to soon issue a detailed announcement to reassure the delegations and ensure that the Games will still take place in the safest conditions.

Source: https://znews.vn/campuchia-rut-tat-ca-mon-thi-dau-khoi-sea-games-33-post1609939.html