Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism and permanent vice-president of the Cambodia SEA Games Organising Committee (CAMSOC), calls on all people who have received tickets to the May 17 closing ceremony of the biennial multi-sports extravaganza at the Morodok Techo National Stadium to ensure that the event proceeds in an orderly manner, as the eyes of the world are once again on the Kingdom.
Khon expressed his pride in the May 5 opening ceremony, which garnered praise and was considered a spectacular success, further promoting the reputation of the Kingdom. He warned however that close attention will have to be paid to the closing ceremony to ensure there are no mistakes which may undo the good work of the earlier occasion.
CAMSOC has decided to reprint all official tickets and car parking vouchers for the closing ceremony, a decision which was discussed in a May 14 CAMSOC meeting.
“The tickets are being reprinted so that the seat numbers are easier to read, to make it more convenient for people to locate their seats,” he explained.
He called on the representatives of provincial groups or state institutions that had received tickets to meet with the recipients and give them clear directions on how to find their seats.
“We previously issued the same instructions, but the process was not as smooth as it ought to have been. In some cases, group leaders led four people out of a group of 100 to their seats, leaving the remaining members to navigate an unfamiliar stadium. Some of them got lost,” he said.
“If we all make sure that this is done, there will be no problems and the event will go smoothly,” he added.
He also addressed a minor issue from the opening ceremony, when some gates allowed drinking water to be brought into the stadium, and others did not.
“We never prohibited bringing drinking water into the stadium. There will be one bottle provided for every seat, but if people are afraid that it will not be enough, they are welcome to bring their own along. They may also bring snacks,” he said.
The minister noted that children under the age of 10 are not permitted to attend the ceremony, saying the hot weather may be detrimental to their health.
“Besides, each family has been given two tickets. If they bring their children, the number of guests will exceed the number of seats, leading to possible difficulties. We ask your understanding on this matter,” Khon added.
