The SEA Games Technical Committee announced yesterday they still don't know how many athletes from Cambodia , the Philippines , Vietnam and Laos will take part in the SEA Games.
Committee member Mr Volavin Sibounnong said they were waiting for these four countries to provide lists of participants in each sport.
The other competing countries have already submitted the requisite forms to the committee after the SEA Games' Chef de Mission (CDM) meeting last month.
“We want these countries to send the completed forms to our committee before our meeting on November 9. We need to know the number so we can divide competitors into groups for each event, so it's important for us to know the exact number before the meeting,” he explained.
The committee reported on October 20, before the CDM meeting, that 4,278 athletes from 11 countries - Brunei , Cambodia , Indonesia , Laos , Malaysia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , Vietnam and Timor Leste - will attend the games.
“That was the number of athletes and officials that was submitted to the committee back then, but now four of those countries are sending entry forms to the committee with the names and exact numbers of competitors in each sport,” Mr Volavin said.
The proposed numbers showed Cambodia would send 224 athletes and officials, the Philippines 775, Laos 661, and Vietnam 600.
The committee said the numbers would be announced in full after the upcoming meeting, when it would be known exactly how many athletes will participate in the games.
SEA Games events will begin on December 2, with the opening ceremony to be held on December 9 and the closing ceremony on December 18.
The 25 sports to be contested are: archery, athletics, aquatics, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, muay, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw, shooting, shuttlecock, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
“After our meeting on November 9 we can officially announce the exact number of contestants. The IT Committee will upload the information onto the games' website and it will be announced in the media,” Mr Volavin said.
By Souknilundon Southivongnorath
Vientianetimes
