Tonight (December 9), Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will become the focus of ASEAN with the opening ceremony of the Regional Sports Festival. In front of more than 50,000 visitors, audiences watching live and millions of people from many countries, the story of the 33rd SEA Games is called We are one. One thing, but open, as the Organizing Committee chose to open the door for free to watch the opening, a wide invitation for sports to truly express the nature of closeness, sharing and unlimitedness.
The opening ceremony is always the first test of the host country. Not simply about grandness, but a soft statement about organizational capacity and strategic vision. Thailand wants to introduce itself as the sports center of Southeast Asia, both modernizing infrastructure and reaffirming the leading position of a long-standing sporting nation.
When natural disasters in the South force the Organizing Committee to adjust the location, no matter where there are still problems and shortcomings in preparation, like other events, the SEA Games prove that, at the G hour, everything will return to the main goal, to the success point that requires consensus, smooth coordination, from many sides.
At the deeper level, the SEA Games held at the end of the year always have their own nuance. It is like a summary of how each country behaves in sports - choosing sustainable development or chasing achievements, putting people first or taking medals as the standard.
For the Vietnamese sports delegation, the ambition at the 33rd SEA Games shows caution. This is the period when Vietnamese sports need a long-term strategy, instead of letting the waves of public opinion shape the target.
The 33rd SEA Games is a space for cultures to interact, for each sports delegation to look back on their journey. Sports play the role of a bridge that always has the parallel of competition and cohesion, determination and friendship...
During nearly 2 weeks of competition, with the voice of sports - the effort, perseverance, and desire to surpass oneself, each athlete, each team, each audience has contributed to the common harmony of Southeast Asia, to the theme "Integration & Sustainable Development" that the 33rd SEA Games has chosen.
In the context of a world full of fluctuations and cracks, Southeast Asia chose to stand closer together, using sports to tell the story of an area that is eager to advance faster into the world.
