Cambodia SEA Games team checks in at $2 billion airport

The Cambodian swimming, taekwondo and ju-jitsu teams check in at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on the morning of December 8. Photo: Olympic Cambodia .

On the morning of December 8, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia announced that three teams, including taekwondo, jujitsu and swimming, left Techo International Airport at 8:20 am to go to Thailand to participate in the 33rd SEA Games taking place from December 9-20.

The other two teams, teqball (a sport combining football and table tennis) and gymnastics, departed at 12:55 p.m. the same day, according to Olympic Cambodia.

The remaining seven sports, including athletics, horse riding, Kun Bokator, kickboxing, triathlon, jet skiing and e-sports, will move according to pre-arranged schedules. In total, 12 Cambodian teams with 137 athletes and delegates will attend the games.

Techo International Airport opened its runway to receive its first planes on September 9 and was inaugurated on October 20. From Techo, flights currently connect Phnom Penh with Bangkok, Beijing, Hanoi , Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Reuters .

The image of five Cambodian sports teams checking in at Techo Phnom Penh International Airport has attracted the attention of the online community. The airport, inaugurated on October 20, is the largest infrastructure project that Cambodia has ever invested in the aviation sector.

At the inauguration event, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet called it "an achievement that demonstrates Cambodia's long-term development vision".

Techo International Airport, located about 30 kilometers south of Phnom Penh, is expected to attract tourists. The $2 billion project, covering more than 87,000 square meters, is named "Techo" - an honorary title in the Khmer army.

The project is considered a "new gateway" to open a new era of tourism and investment for the southern region of Cambodia, which is still little explored. Despite its national stature, the project was launched in the context of Cambodia's tourism facing many challenges.

Modern space inside Cambodia's $2 billion international airport. Photo: Reuters, Arch Daily.

In the context of competing at the 33rd SEA Games, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron, together with Secretary General of the Cambodian Olympic Committee Vath Chamroeun, affirmed that Cambodia participated in accordance with the regulations of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF).

Mr. Hang Chuon Naron emphasized that the decision to participate in the SEA Games was carefully considered to protect "national interests and honor." The host country, Thailand, has the obligation to ensure security, safety and transparency in the competition.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian sports delegation was asked to be cautious and disciplined. The delegation had to assign personnel to each sport and take roll call every day. Athletes could only travel in groups, not alone, and maintain constant communication.

Source: https://znews.vn/doi-tuyen-sea-games-campuchia-check-in-san-bay-2-ty-usd-post1609503.html