SEA Games 31: Bac Giang Province set for badminton matches

Ngyen Trong Bac, deputy director of the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism Service, said the competitions will be held at the provincial gymnasium in Bac Giang city from May 16 to 22.

This gym, with 4,500 seats, meets international standards and is one of the most modern of its kind in the northern region.

For the SEA Games 31, the province has invested 437,300 dollars in the improvement of that facility and the acquisition of new equipment, said the official, adding that communication activities have also been promoted, with statues of Sao la, the mascot of Sea Games 31, banners and posters placed in the streets.

The provincial Health Service and relevant agencies arranged staff and enough medical supplies for the event, it added.

Meanwhile, volunteer recruitment has been going on since March. The Muong Thanh Bac Giang hotel, where the athletes will stay while competing there, has also been prepared to serve the delegations, it said.

127 athletes from eight countries, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, are expected to compete in the badminton competitions.

Trong Bac said this is the first time the province has organized a regional sports event and is committed to creating the best possible conditions for the Games.

Apart from the main venue in Hanoi, Bac Giang is one of the other 11 locations that will host the SEA Games 31 competitions, scheduled for May 12-23.

The largest regional sports event, with the theme “For a stronger Southeast Asia”, will include 40 sports with 526 events and is expected to attract some 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially scheduled for late 2021 but was pushed back due to the impact of the pandemic.

At SEA Games 30 in 2019, Vietnam ranked second in the medal rankings, with 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze, behind the host country Philippines.