The Sea Games, which were due to take place in Vietnam this year, have been postponed because of the Covid pandemic and will most likely be held next year.
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The regional event was scheduled to be held in Hanoi and 11 other locations from Nov 21-Dec 2.
But Vietnam is struggling to contain a new Covid-19 outbreak, and many Sea Games events were planned in provinces hard-hit by the fresh wave of infections.
“The new dates for the Sea Games will be known within 10 to 14 days. Hosts Vietnam will propose and finalise the new dates,” said Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria after the Sea Games Federation (SEAGF) meeting yesterday.
“However, I have proposed for the Games to be held at end of April to early May due to the congested sports calendar next year.”
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The Birmingham Commonwealth Games in England on July 28-Aug 8 and the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept 10-25 are also scheduled next year.
The decision comes after Vietnam announced nine million people in Ho Chi Minh City would go into lockdown for two weeks in the early hours of Friday.
Hanoi, which was to be at the centre of the Sea Games, has had fewer cases but yesterday suspended transport links with at least 14 cities and provinces to fight the virus’ spread.
Virus clusters have appeared up and down the country, including in the northern industrial provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, where Games events were due to take place.
Vietnam previously hosted the Sea Games in 2003.-NST