The opening ceremony of the largest sporting event in Southeast Asia will be held at 7 p.m. on May 12 at the My Dinh National Stadium, and is scheduled to last for 120 minutes.

Following a parade of 11 sports delegations and the host country’s announcement of opening the regional games, 10 athletes will participate in a torch relay ceremony.

Taekwondo martial artist Tran Hieu Ngan, who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2000, will be first to hold the torch.

The torch will then be transferred to weightlifter Hoang Anh Tuan, a silver medal winner at the 2008 Olympics, weightlifter Tran Le Quoc Toan, a bronze medal winner at the 2021 Olympics, Wushu martial artist Nguyen Thuy Hien, a gold medal winner at the 2001 SEA Games, and swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien, a gold medal winner at the 2015 SEA Games.

The torch will then pass to track-and-field athlete Quach Thi Lan, a gold medal winner at ASIAD 2018, track-and-field athlete Le Tu Chinh, a gold medal winner at the 2019 SEA Games, and gymnast Le Thanh Tung, a gold medal winner at the 2017 SEA Games.    

As the most prominent athlete, marksman Hoang Xuan Vinh who claimed a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, has been tasked with lighting the torch.

Furthermore, fencer Vu Thanh An, who bagged gold medals in three consecutive SEA Games, will hold the national flag for the Vietnamese sports delegation.

Young swimmer Nguyen Huy Hoang will also swear an oath on behalf of the Vietnamese athletes at the regional games’ opening ceremony.

The SEA Games 31 is set to get underway in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring localities from May 12 to May 23, with as many as 10,000 athletes and coaches of 11 Southeast Asian sports delegations competing in 40 sports across 526 events.

Source: VOV