SEA Games 32 opening ceremony unprecedented, Olympic-sized: Cambodian official

Morodok Techo Stadium in Phnom Penh. (Photo:Real Estate)

Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodia will organise an opening ceremony for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) to the Olympic standard, according to Vath Chamroeun, Secretary General of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC).

“The opening and closing ceremonies are two very important events of the country. We will hold a grand ceremony that is unprecedented and Olympic-sized, not regional like the previous games. People will be surprised at that,” the official said.

All images related to the ceremony, which is slated for May 5 evening at Morodok Techo Stadium in Phnom Penh, have been kept secret until the last minute.

According to local media, the opening ceremony will have three parts with sound and lighting performances spreading the message “Sports, live in peace”.

The ceremony will be closed with "Cambodian Pride" – the official anthem of the SEA Games 32.

By May 4, the music video had logged over 64 million views since its release on YouTube on April 10, by far the highest compared to that of its equivalents in previous editions of the tournament.

The opening of the 32nd SEA Games also includes familiar rituals such as the parade of 11 sports delegations, arbitrator’s oath, opening speech by the Prime Minister of Cambodia, and the ceremony of lighting the torch of the 32nd SEA Games.

The torch top modeled after the Romdoul flower, the national flower of Cambodia with a gilded design, has a height of 75cm, and weighs more than 1kg. The torch relay and torch lighting are considered unprecedented in scale and impressive in the regional games.

SEA Games 32 with 38 sports takes place from May 5-17 in the capital city of Phnom Penh and four other localities, including Siem Reap, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, and Kep./.