25th SEA Games, Laos

If the fans which turned up on the first day of the men’s football event at the SEA Games yesterday is of any indication at all, then the Laos organisers should be more than happy with the sale of tickets. For the men’s football event, tickets are being sold at a price of 50,000kips (USD6) and 70,000kips (USD8.30) for the preliminary round matches.

And yesterday, tickets were sold out as droves of Vietnam fans garb in all red came to witness their second national side held eight-times SEA Games champions Thailand to a 1-1 draw. The newly-built Main Stadium has a capacity of 20,000 and apart from making sure that the Vietnam are well supported, the noise generated throughout the evening including when Malaysia took on Timer Leste gave a festive atmosphere worthy of a cup final.

Both the Vietnam and Thailand fans were mingling with each other as they took to the spirit of ASEAN brotherhood to the letter.

During the break, with the music of the Laos SEA Games and also traditional Laos songs being played, scores of people were singing and dancing at the stands. And while Thailand had a smaller crowd of supporters pushing the team forward, the likes of Malaysia and Timor Leste had been given appointed cheerleaders to make them have a semblance of them playing at home.

With the level of football being played on the very first day of competition, the crowd who came to watch the matches were not at all disappointed. Tomorrow will be another loud and cheerful day at the second venue of the Chao Anu Vong Stadium with Vietnam taking on Timor Leste - right after the game between Thailand and Cambodia.