Phnom Penh (FN), May 9 – The ambition and sports dreams of Cambodia were on display to delegates at the Olympic Solidarity/Olympic Council of Asia Regional Forum on Monday afternoon. After the official closing of the two-day forum, representatives from National Olympic Committees from South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia, as well as from IOC’s Olympic Solidarity and OCA, were taken on a tour of the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex on the outskirts of the capital.

With sport playing an increasingly significant role in the Kingdom, supported by Prime Minister Hun Sen, the Royal Government and the NOCC led by Minister of Tourism HE Dr Thong Khon, all eyes are focused on 2023, when Cambodia will host the South East Asian (SEA) Games for the first time.

The SEA Games, which dates back to 1959, features 11 NOCs in the region and attracts thousands of athletes – and in order to provide them with the most modern sports venues, the Morodok (meaning Treasure) Techo complex will include a main stadium, aquatics centre, athletes’ village, shooting range, tennis courts , hockey field and a health care and sports medicine centre, among other services and facilities.

The Regional Forum delegates visited the completed aquatics centre as well as the HQ for the complex, with plans and designs on display. The main stadium, funded by China, will be completed in 2020 – fully three years before the SEA Games.

The delegates were all impressed with the new national sports complex, which highlights the prominent role of sport and the Olympic Movement in the Kingdom of Wonder.