Defence minister Tea Banh inspects the sport village construction site in the capital’s Chroy Changvar district on Feb 28. - Tea Banh FB
PHNOM PENH (The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network):The national organising committees of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th Asean Para Games (CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC) said delays to the construction of the sport village that will house visiting athletes are no longer a concern.
WorldBridge Sport Village, the developers who are building the village, has given assurances that the project will be completed by March 31.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Tea Banh, who serves as president of CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC, inspected the site on Feb 28 and received the commitment of WorldBridge CEO Sear Rithy that the target would be met.
The commitment followed Tea Banh’s warnings that construction delays constituted an emergency. His earlier assessment was made during a Jan 31 inspection.
“After his most recent visit, [Tea Banh] praised the excellent progress of the sport village,” said CAMSOC-CAMAPGOC secretary-general Vath Chamroeun.
“This means that our concerns have been allayed. Our confidence was restored by Rithy’s vow to the government, and we are optimistic that it will be successful,” he said.
Cambodia will officially host the opening ceremony of the SEA Games on May 5. Tea Banh advised WorldBridge to set a March 31 deadline, as this would allow time for a handover to CAMSOC for furnishing the village and staging an inauguration ceremony.
“On March 31, the village will be completed, so we will have time to install beds and the like. On April 20, we hold an inauguration ceremony foe the village and complete our final preparations. We will welcome athletes from April 27 on,” said Chamroeun.
A total of more than 5,000 beds will be installed to welcome the athletes and officials who will eat and sleep in the village. Between 2,000 and 5,000 people will be accommodated, with the village likely to be at its fullest in the days surrounding the opening ceremony.
Chamroeun considered the games village one of the keys to demonstrating the kingdom’s honour and prestige.
“In the past, some host countries provided accommodation and served meals in hotels. According to the spirit of the Olympic Games, international athletes must stay in the sports village. Thus, the village represents the national honour of the host nation. We must ensure that our guests are safe, comfortable and well rested for their competitions,” he said.
