The second Chefs de Mission Meeting of the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi on March 18 (Photo: VNA)

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Olympic Committee and head of the 31st SEA Games organising committee, said thanks to the solidarity of Southeast Asian countries and efforts by the Vietnamese Government and people, despite many challenges, Vietnam has basically put the COVID-19 pandemic under control and made preparations for the 31st SEA Games, with safety measures taken, on schedule.
Based on the opinions raised at the first Chefs de Mission Meeting, Vietnam has worked on issues relevant to the organisation of the Games, Hung noted, adding that sub-committees of the organising committee will continue providing the delegates with updated information about the Games and issues needed to be done in the time ahead so that all countries can have the best preparations for their delegations to the region's largest sport event.

He added that as part of the meeting, participants will visit some competition venues and accommodation facilities for the Games.

Following the opening ceremony, they held a closed session to discuss important issues related to the organisation of SEA Games 31.

The 31st SEA Games, themed “For a stronger South East Asia”, will run in Hanoi and 11 neighboring localities from May 12 to 23. It will feature 40 sports with 526 events and expect to attract around 10,000 participants. The biennial event was initially slated for late 2021 but delayed due to the pandemic’s impact.

The event will lure about 3,000 domestic and foreign journalists, according to the event's organisers.
Vietnam Sports Administration Deputy Director Le Thi Hoang Yen said about 7,000 athletes have registered to take part in the tournament.

Spectators will not be required to undergo the COVID-19 test if they want to go to the competition venue to watch and cheer for the athletes.

At the 30th SEA Games in 2019, Vietnam finished second in the overall medal tally, with 98 golds, 85 silvers and 105 bronzes, following the hosts the Philippines.