Extremely hot: Cambodia suddenly withdrew 1,515 athletes, leaving only 57 people to attend SEA Games 33?

According to Thairath, on August 4, during a meeting of the Sports Selection Committee, athletes and officials attending the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, the Cambodian sports delegation suddenly shortened the list of participants to only 57 people, from the original number of 1,515 athletes.

Cambodian Sports Shockingly Reduces Number of Participants in SEA Games 33

Thai newspaper Thairath reported that Cambodian sports officials confirmed the participation of the country's sports delegation at the 33rd SEA Games held in Thailand, despite the recent instability between the two countries. However, the number of athletes and officials attending has been shockingly reduced to only 57, from the initial registration list of 1,515 people including athletes, officials...

Cambodian sports still attend SEA Games 33, but shockingly reduce the number of participants

Photo: Screenshot Thairath Online

Previously, there were rumors that Thailand might consider banning the Cambodian sports delegation from participating in the 33rd SEA Games, for the safety of the country's athletes and sports officials.

However, the SEA Games Council and the Thai Olympic Committee have stated that they do not have the authority to ban any country from participating, as this would violate the Olympic Charter. Furthermore, Cambodia has stated that it will not withdraw from the 33rd SEA Games and will send athletes to participate as scheduled.

Cambodian sports also reaffirmed its stance that it does not want politics to interfere in sports and stressed that sports relations with Thailand should be separate from border issues or any political conflicts, Thairath added.

However, with the confirmation that Cambodian sports have significantly reduced the number of athletes participating in the 33rd SEA Games, it shows that the current instability between the two countries will continue to hinder the return of the largest sporting event in Southeast Asia this coming December.

At the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 held in Cambodia, the country's sports delegation ranked 4th overall with 81 gold medals, 74 silver medals and 127 bronze medals, and had a total of 896 athletes competing. However, after the recent incident at the border between the two countries, the number of Cambodian athletes participating in the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand has been significantly reduced.

Meanwhile, according to the announcement of the number of sports delegations attending the 33rd SEA Games, the host delegation of Thailand is the largest with 2,134 people (including athletes, coaches, officials, etc.), followed by Malaysia with 1,824 people, Singapore with 1,973 people and the Vietnamese sports delegation with 863 people.

Other delegations, including Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor Leste, have requested a two-week extension to announce their SEA Games 33 rosters and are expected to submit their final numbers before September 1, according to Thairath .

The 33rd SEA Games held in Thailand at the end of this year will take place from December 9 to 20, in three major cities: Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cuc-nong-campuchia-bat-ngo-rut-han-1515-vdv-chi-con-57-nguoi-du-sea-games-33-185250805113433335.htm