Sound of Revival Reverberates from Arena

The 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam is not only a space for athletes’ revival. The multi-sporting event is also a symbol of the return of Southeast Asian countries that have been overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

KOMPAS/RONY ARIYANTO NUGROHO

The closing ceremony of the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games at the Vietnam Asian Indoor Game Stadium, Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday (23/5/2022). Cambodia will host the 32nd SEA Games in 2023.

HANOI, KOMPAS – The 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Vietnam is seen as a platform of revival. Competing athletes and the host country, as the organizer of the Games, have all shown that even in the worst times, there is always hope of rising again. This message of revival has echoed from the arena and across Southeast Asian countries.

Initially plagued by doubt, the Vietnam 2021 SEA Games ran smoothly until the closing ceremony on Monday night (23/5/2022) at the Vietnam Asian Indoor Games Stadium in Hanoi. Over 12 days, Southeast Asia’s best athletes competed for more than 1,000 medals in 40 sports and 526 events. A total of 30 records were broken at this year’s SEA Games.