BANGKOK — Cambodia has pulled all of its athletes from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, officials said Wednesday, as intensified fighting along the Thai-Cambodian border raised safety concerns among athletes’ families.
Chaiyapak Siriwat, chief executive officer of the Southeast Asian Games Federation, said Cambodia informed organizers early Wednesday that it would withdraw from every event. He said the 30 Cambodian athletes who took part in Tuesday’s opening ceremony were deeply appreciative of Thailand’s reception, but a sudden escalation along the frontier prompted Cambodian officials to recall the team.
“At about 2 a.m. on December 10, Vath Chamroeun, secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, told us they needed to withdraw due to warnings from senior Cambodian authorities about worsening border conditions and fears the situation could spread,” Chaiyapak said.
Chamroeun later submitted an official withdrawal letter, stating: “On behalf of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), I regret to inform you that, due to serious concerns and requests from the families of our athletes to have their relatives return home immediately, NOCC must withdraw all of our delegation and arrange for their prompt return to Cambodia for safety reasons.”
The letter expressed gratitude for the “hospitality, warmth, and spirit of sportsmanship” shown by Thai organizers, and apologized for any inconvenience caused by the delegation’s early departure.
Border clashes first erupted in July and have increasingly weighed on Thailand’s preparations as host nation, as well as Cambodia’s participation. Cambodia had initially planned to send athletes in every sport, but gradually reduced the delegation to 12 sports.
A total of 137 athletes and staff ultimately traveled to Thailand, including the 30 who marched in the opening ceremony at Rajamangala National Stadium to applause comparable to that of other nations.
The withdrawal reduces the number of participating countries from 11 to 10 for the December 9–20 games, which feature 11,063 athletes competing in 42 sports. Although host cities Bangkok and Chonburi are far from the fighting, the decision has dampened hopes that the Games would serve as a platform for regional peace and unity.
