Vietnam helps raise level of SEA Games: regional media

Vietnam has left a strong impression on the regional media by its hosting of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31), which wrapped up with a ceremony imbued with Vietnam’s cultural identity in Hanoi on May 23 evening.

SEA Games 31 wraps up with a ceremony imbued with Vietnam’s cultural identity in Hanoi o May 23 (Photo: VNA)

According to Ramon Fernandez, head of the Philippine sports delegation to SEA Games 31, Vietnam has helped raise the level of SEA Games by including Olympic sports in the regional event.

The sports news Inquirer Sports of the Philippines quoted Fernandez as saying that the host country has been very open and tried to create a fair game, contributing to raising the level of SEA Games.

Other delegations also responded that they were able to bring many athletes in Olympic sports to the Games and received good results.

Meanwhile, Thairath newspaper cited a Thai reporter working at the SEA Games, who expressed thanks for the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to organise SEA Games 31 despite many obstacles, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.

The successful organisation of SEA Game 31 is the foundation for Vietnam’s development in the future, the newspaper said.

https://cdnimgen.vietnamplus.vn/t620/uploaded/wbxx/2022_05_24/art_performance.jpg

At the closing ceremony of SEA Games 31 (Photo: VNA)

According to an article on news.yahoo.com, despite the pandemic, SEA Games 31 - the largest sports event in the region - has been taking place with the thrills, all the pageantry and determination of the participating delegations.

The Straits Times of Singapore said many sports tournaments had to be postponed or even cancelled in the past two years because of the pandemic. SEA Games 31 also faced a similar risk. However, the host country Vietnam has been doing all its best to ensure that the event takes place safely but still with a strong sports spirit.

The Star of Malaysia also summed up the SEA Games 31 journey of Malaysia’s sports delegation, and praised the host country Vietnam for ensuring a "safe" Games for their athletes.

Another thing that impressed the media of ASEAN countries when reporting the 31st SEA Games is the passionate love for sports of the Vietnamese people, and their enthusiastic support for the sports delegations at the Games.

The Viet Tri stadium in Phu Tho province and Thien Truong stadium in Nam Dinh province were always full of audiences to cheer for the football teams, even in matches without U23 Vietnam.

Manager of Thailand's football teams Madam Pang expressed “very surprised” about the festival-like atmosphere at the Thien Truong stadium, which showed the friendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people. She thanked Vietnam for hosting the Games this year.

Not only venues for football, those for other competitions in this Games were always also full of spectators. Philippine billiards legend Efren Reyes cannot forget the support of Vietnamese fans for him. He said that he was happy simply because of the love Vietnamese fans showed him.

Foreign reporters working at SEA Games 31 also were also surprised by the enthusiasm of Vietnamese fans. They said that whether there were Vietnamese teams competing or not, fans still watched the competitions and gave their best cheers in every sport.

The professional and safe organisation of SEA Games 31 and the enthusiasm of Vietnamese fans have left a good impression among friends around the world.

SEA Games 31 has contributed to create a beautiful image and conveyed a strong message to friends from all countries in the region about the love for sports, friendliness and hospitality of Vietnamese people./.

VNA