Thailand’s SEA Games hosting also in trouble?

With the 6th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) being called off, speculations are swirling that Thailand’s hosting of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games from 9 to 20 December next year is also in limbo.

A senior sports official yesterday told DAILY TRIBUNE that the SEA Games Federation Council is bracing for the worst after the Thais formally cancelled their hosting of the AIMAG on Monday.

Various factors contributed to the cancellation of the AIMAG.

According to the Olympic Council of Asia, the Thais couldn’t pool enough budget to run the prestigious continental event. They don’t have enough infrastructure in Bangkok and Chonburi as well as other requirements.

But those in the know believe that the cancellation was triggered by the frosty relationship between the National Olympic Council (NOC) of Thailand executives and the newly-appointed Ministry of Tourism and Sports chief.

In fact, Thai Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanich called for a review of the budget allotted for their hosting of the AIMAG after the number of sports was reduced from 38 with 14,000 athletes to 24 with only 1,938 athletes.

The source said if the Thai NOC and Sports Ministry will not be on the same page in the coming months, the preparation for the SEA Games will be affected, which could eventually lead to postponement.

“We have to remember that for a country’s hosting of the SEA Games to push through, there should be a so-called ‘government guarantee,’ which means that the national government is fully accepting the hosting responsibility,” said the source, who played key roles in the Philippines’ hosting of the SEA Games in 2005 and 2019.

“Securing the ‘government guarantee’ means that you have the support of the national government, giving you assurance that all of its resources and manpower will be made available for the success of the Games.”

“But if the organizers of the Thailand SEA Games fail to secure this very important commitment, I doubt if the SEA Games there will still push through.”

The Philippines is looking forward to competing in the SEA Games after wrapping up its most successful campaign in the Olympics with two gold and two bronze medals.

In their previous stint in the biennial meet in Cambodia last year, the Filipinos took home 58 gold medals — the highest ever number of gold in any SEA Games held outside the Philippines.