KUALA LUMPUR – Cambodia hosting the SEA Games for the first time has ultimately raised some concerns among the Malaysian contingent.
This year’s Games officially started on May 5, yet the sports village has been reported to be incomplete up to this very day.
Hence, the issue of the placement of athletes in the sports village has become a major concern for the national contingent.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said a large group of athletes would have to seek accommodation outside of the sports village.
“We have just received a report from our secretariat officials who had been in Cambodia earlier to observe the host’s preparations ahead of the Games.
“Only 200 of our athletes can stay in the sports village at any one time, whereas we have arranged for the rest to stay outside such as in hotels in the Phnom Penh area, which may lead to other problems such as the supply of halal food, especially for Muslim athletes,” she said.
Yeoh was met at the flag-handing ceremony for the Malaysian contingent at the National Sports Council (NSC) here, today.
The contingent will comprise 676 athletes and 251 officers, of which 401 individuals are male athletes and 275 are female athletes.
The issue of athlete accommodation leads to another concern as the secretariat would have to carefully manage traffic congestion and logistical arrangements from the lodging to the competition venue for athletes who will be staying outside of the sports village.
Extreme weather is also a factor to be considered, Yeoh said, as national athletes are also expected to face the hot and dusty weather in Cambodia.
As such, she said the National Sports Institute will ensure athletes follow the relevant guidance and advice while they are in the country.
“The Malaysian contingent secretariat officials and also the NSC have taken the necessary actions to deal with such issues and I am confident that the well-being of our athletes will be taken care of as much as possible to ensure that their performance is not affected,” she added. – The Vibes, April 30, 2023
