The 33rd SEA Games concluded in a minimalist style.

VHO - The closing ceremony of the 33rd Sea Games in Thailand continued to be held in a minimalist style, with confidential information and limited spectators, during a period of national mourning in the country.

The closing ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games will take place at 6 PM on December 20th at the Rajamangala National Stadium.

Even before the start of Southeast Asia's biggest sporting event, Kongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), affirmed that the overarching theme for both ceremonies was "minimalism".

Meanwhile, Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, spoke of the appearance of famous personalities, spectacular musical performances, and dazzling light effects, but in reality, the subsequent performances were quite simple.

The reason stems from the fact that Thailand is observing a one-year period of national mourning following the passing of Queen Mother Sirikit in October. Everything has been streamlined to the maximum, even the fireworks display – which was considered the most emotional and spectacular highlight of previous Games – has been omitted.

However, in contrast to the opening ceremony, the Thai organizing committee has kept all details about the program under wraps. No one knows whether there will be any surprise appearances by celebrities, or if the tradition of beauty queens leading national sports delegations will be retained. All that has been revealed is a general announcement about "a unique combination of artistic performances, sound, and lighting."

This mystery inadvertently created a bit of curiosity, but overall, the public didn't have high expectations for a spectacular performance. For now, there are only two mandatory traditional ceremonies: the SEA Games torch extinguishing ceremony and the handover of the flag to the next host country - Malaysia.

Besides the content, the audience is also a noteworthy point. The Rajamangala Stadium – where the Closing Ceremony will take place – has a capacity of up to 50,000 people, but only about 20,000 spectators are expected to be allowed in. The main reason stems from the fact that Zone E of the stadium was completely closed from the Opening Ceremony to make way for stage construction, and this situation remained throughout the Games.

At the closing ceremony, the closure of Zone E will remain in place. Therefore, the predicted attendance for this final event will not be very high. Thus, the 33rd SEA Games will conclude in a solemn, minimalist atmosphere, yet also filled with regret over the objective limitations, leaving a special mark in the history of the Games.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/the-thao/sea-games-33-khep-lai-trong-su-toi-gian-190258.html