Cambodia to host 2019 SEAG

MANILA, Philippines - Cambodia, the only founding member of the Southeast Asian Games not to have hosted the biennial meet, is on line to take its turn in 2019.

Several member countries actually brought up the issue in its meeting in Bali, Indonesia a couple of weeks ago, giving the Cambodians, one of the first countries to participate in the Games’ inaugural staging in 1959, ample time to prepare for their first ever hosting.

“It’s about time Cambodia, one of the founding members, hosts the SEA Games,” said Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia. “I just don’t know if they are ready to host their first SEA Games.”

Some of the concerns raised are the availability of playing venues and facilities and trimming of the sports calendar similar to the 1999 Brunei Games where they cut the traditional sports events practically by half.

Indonesia will host this year’s SEAG in Palembang while, Myanmar will be the next stop in 2013 followed by Singpore in 2015 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2017.

Among the six SEAG founders, Thailand hosted it six times, Malaysia five, Singapore and Manila thrice each, Myanmar twice and Laos once in Vientianne last year.

Cambodia was supposed to host it in 1963 but it backed off at the last minute due to internal problems.