Cambodia will welcome thousands of athletes from across the region when the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games begin on Friday with an opening ceremony at a new stadium built and paid for by China
The capital Phnom Penh will stage the 32nd edition of the biennial SEA Games, the first time Cambodia plays host.
More than 11,000 athletes, coaches and delegates from 10 other countries will descend on the country for the Games, which run until May 17.
Regional glory is up for grabs, but competitors will also have one eye on the Asian Games in China in September-October and next year’s Paris Olympics
Southeast Asia’s finest will take part in a host of competitions including athletics, swimming, badminton and football, as well as more obscure sports such as Kun Bokator, an ancient Cambodian martial art
The Games will welcome world-class athletes such as pole-vaulter Ernest John Obiena and weightlifter Vanessa Sarno, both from the Philippines.
But fellow Philippine weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, a Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, will not compete.
Another notable absentee is swimmer Joseph Schooling, Singapore’s 2016 Olympic gold medallist, who pulled out in March saying he was “not at the level” to do his best.
The Games usually take place every other year but because of the pandemic the previous edition, in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, was just 12 months ago.
The hosts topped the medal table, ahead of Thailand and Indonesia.