HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam plans to postpone this year’s Southeast Asian Games, state media said Wednesday, as the country grapples with a new virus outbreak.
The regional Olympics are due to be held in Hanoi and 11 other locations — some of them at the epicentre of the fresh Covid-19 wave — from November 21 to December 2.
But Vietnam reportedly wants to move the 31st SEA Games to next year.
An online meeting between the Olympic comittees of the nations due to compete at the games was held Wednesday, according to Vietnam News Agency.
“Due to the complicated pandemic situation in Vietnam and in the region, VOC (Vietnam Olympic Committee) suggested to postpone the SEA Games 31 to July 2022,” the agency added.
The committees will reportedly speak again in two weeks, before a final decision is made.
Virus cases have more than tripled in Vietnam since April to over 9,000. Although the number is low in comparison to most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Vietnam’s vaccination rate per capita is the lowest in the region and among the lowest in Asia, according to an AFP tally.
SEA Games events are due to take place in some of the worst affected provinces including Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, in the country’s northeast.
One badminton venue in Bac Giang has been turned into a field hospital.
Vietnam previously hosted the multisports competition in 2003. It has allocated a budget of around $69 million for the Games.
The SEA Games are expected to attract nearly 20,000 participants, including about 7,000 athletes, from 11 countries, according to state media.
As well as Olympic disciplines, sports are likely to include billiards and snooker, bodybuilding, chess, bowling and kurash, an ancient form of Uzbek wrestling.
© Agence France-Presse
