SEA Games 31 wraps up with a ceremony imbued with Vietnam’s cultural identity in Hanoi o May 23 (Photo: VNA) According to Ramon Fernandez, head of the Philippine sports delegation to SEA Games 31, Vietnam has helped raise the level of SEA Games by includingOlympic sports in the regional event.
The sports news Inquirer Sports of the Philippines quoted Fernandez as sayingthat the host country has been very open and tried to create a fair game,contributing to raising the level of SEA Games.
Other delegations also responded that they were able to bring many athletes inOlympic sports to the Games and received good results.
Meanwhile, Thairath newspaper cited a Thai reporter working at the SEA Games,who expressed thanks for the Vietnamese Government’s efforts to organise SEAGames 31 despite many obstacles, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.
The successful organisation of SEA Game 31 is the foundation for Vietnam’sdevelopment in the future, the newspaper said.
At the closing ceremony of SEA Games 31 (Photo: VNA) According to an article on news.yahoo.com, despite the pandemic, SEA Games 31 - the largest sports event in the region - has been takingplace with the thrills, all the pageantry and determination of theparticipating delegations.
The Straits Times of Singapore said many sports tournaments had to be postponedor even cancelled in the past two years because of the pandemic. SEA Games 31also faced a similar risk. However, the host country Vietnam has been doing allits best to ensure that the event takes place safely but still with a strongsports spirit.
The Star of Malaysia also summed up the SEA Games 31 journeyof Malaysia’s sports delegation, and praised the host country Vietnam forensuring a "safe" Games for their athletes.
Anotherthing that impressed the media of ASEAN countries when reporting the 31stSEA Games is the passionate love for sports of the Vietnamese people, and theirenthusiastic support for the sports delegations at the Games.
The Viet Tri stadium in Phu Tho province and ThienTruong stadium in Nam Dinh province were always full of audiences to cheer forthe football teams, even in matches without U23 Vietnam.
Manager of Thailand's football teams Madam Pang expressed “very surprised”about the festival-like atmosphere at the Thien Truong stadium, which showed thefriendliness and hospitality of the Vietnamese people. She thanked Vietnam forhosting the Games this year.
Notonly venues for football, those for other competitions in this Games were alwaysalso full of spectators. Philippine billiardslegend Efren Reyes cannot forget the support of Vietnamese fans forhim. He said that he was happy simply becauseof the love Vietnamese fans showed him.
Foreign reporters working at SEA Games 31 also were also surprised bythe enthusiasm of Vietnamese fans. They said that whether there were Vietnameseteams competing or not, fans still watched the competitions and gave their bestcheers in every sport.
The professional and safe organisation of SEA Games 31 and the enthusiasmof Vietnamese fans have left a good impression among friends around the world.
SEA Games 31 has contributed to create a beautiful image and conveyed a strongmessage to friends from all countries in the region about the love for sports, friendlinessand hospitality of Vietnamese people./.
VNA
