From 1,515 people, Cambodia reduced to only 57 athletes attending the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.

Four months before the 33rd SEA Games kicked off in Thailand, Cambodia surprised the Southeast Asian sports community by announcing it would cut almost all of its athletes participating in the SEA Games.

Cambodia has very few athletes left to attend the SEA Games - Photo: REC

According to information released by the Thai Olympic Committee on August 4, Cambodia has only registered 57 athletes for the 33rd SEA Games, a 96% decrease from the original expected number of 1,515 people.

The shocking move comes shortly after a clash at the border between Cambodia and Thailand in late July.

Although no official statement was made about the reason, analysts said that the security situation and tense bilateral relations were the direct causes leading to the decision to reduce the sports delegation.

Responding to the Bangkok Post, Mr. Thana Chaiprasit - Secretary General of the Thai Olympic Committee - confirmed that Cambodia had submitted a request to reduce the number of athletes to 57 and affirmed that it would not withdraw from the 33rd SEA Games.

However, with such a limited number of athletes, it is likely that Cambodia will not send a men's or women's football team to participate, which could affect the structure of the group stage and the competition format of football.

Thai Enquirer newspaper quoted some Thai sports officials as saying that there was a proposal to ban Cambodia from participating in the SEA Games due to safety concerns, but in the end the Thai Olympic Committee rejected the idea because it went against the Olympic Charter.

Mr. Chaiyaphak Siriwat - President of the Southeast Asian Sports Council - emphasized: "No country, including the host country, has the right to unilaterally remove a member from the Games. That would seriously violate the principles of equality and non-discrimination of the Olympic movement."

Up to now, the Thai delegation is still the largest force with 2,134 athletes registered to participate in the 33rd SEA Games, taking place from December 9 to 20, 2025 in three cities: Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla.

Countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam have basically finalized the number of participating athletes, while Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Timor-Leste are asking for an extension to submit the official list. The Vietnamese sports delegation attending the 33rd SEA Games is expected to have about 1,000 members, aiming to be in the top group of the event.

Previously, Cambodia was the host country of the 32nd SEA Games in 2023 with a large number of athletes.

The decision to withdraw almost all of their forces from the upcoming congress is considered unprecedented in the history of recent SEA Games.

It is not yet clear which sports Cambodia will participate in, but according to regional media, the country's sports delegation will continue to play a symbolic role rather than compete for achievements in the upcoming games.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tu-1-515-nguoi-campuchia-rut-xuong-chi-con-57-vdv-du-sea-games-33-tai-thai-lan-20250805145245146.htm