SEA Games 31: Sports spirit wins over pandemic
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) - the largest sports event in the region - has been taking place with the thrills, all the pageantry and determination of the participating sports delegations, according to an article on news.yahoo.com.
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| SEA Games 31: Sports spirit wins over pandemic. (Photo: Toquoc/Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) |
The article said many sports tournaments had to be postponed or even canceled in the past two years because of the pandemic. SEA Games 31 also faced a similar risk. However, the host country Viet Nam has been doing all its best to ensure that the event takes place safely but still with a strong sports spirit.
The determination of Viet Nam was shown partly in the grand opening ceremony of SEA Games 31 held at the My Dinh National Stadium in Ha Noi on May 12, which was joined by thousands of athletes and unremitting applause of audiences.
Besides Viet Nam's efforts, athletes were undeterred by disruptions, it noted.
The article said that the past two years have certainly been a tumultuous period for the athletes of this region. Some have quit their chosen sports amid all the uncertainties and moved on to their next careers. Others have suffered dips in forms as their training regimens got disrupted.
Yet, there are also many debutants at this Hanoi Games. Singapore, for instance, has 243 debutants out of its 427 participating athletes - more than half of its traveling contingent, the article noted, adding that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, these athletes have seized their opportunities in qualifying for this event.
So no matter how much the Games has been affected by COVID-19, it is easy to still be swept up by its distinct charms, the article said.
(Source: VNA)
