Bangkok: The SEA Games Council President has requested that Cambodia reduce the number of athletes from 600 to no more than 200 for safety reasons. The Comptroller General's Department has approved practice allowances for Thai athletes.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chaipak Siriwat, President of the SEA Games Council, revealed that after Cambodia submitted a list of athletes for the 33rd SEA Games, which will be hosted in Thailand from December 9-20, totaling 600 athletes and over 100 officials, due to concerns about the current international situation and uncertainty surrounding the competition's future, he informed the Cambodian sports chief to reduce the number of athletes to no more than 200 so that the host country can best ensure the safety of the Cambodian team.
Cambodia had previously sent 1,515 athletes to the Entry Form by Number competition before the clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border erupted, before Mr. Vath Chamroeun, Secretary-General of the Cambodian Olympic Committee, confirmed sending more than 800 athletes and officials, with the deadline for submitting the SEA Games Entry Form by Number competition list on September 15.
The Comptroller General's Department has approved an additional budget of 310,980,975.63 baht for the project to prepare athletes for the SEA Games, scheduled for May 1st - September 30th, 2025. Once the National Sports Development Fund's financial department receives complete disbursement documentation, disbursements can be processed within three business days to support the preparation of Thai athletes for the 33rd SEA Games.