The two-hour ceremony will be divided into three parts, themed ‘Friendly Vietnam’, ‘Strong South East Asia’, and ‘Shining South East Asia’.

Performances at the event will introduce to audiences at home and abroad to the culture, tradition and people of Vietnam while conveying the spirit and the theme of the Games ‘For a Stronger South East Asia’.

Regarding the seating plan, the entirety of stand B will be used as the main stage. The centre of stand A will provide seating for leaders and officials while the sides of stand A along with stands C and D will serve spectators.

According to programme, following the parade of athletes from the 11 participating countries into the stadium, the Vietnamese Prime Minister will declare the opening of the Games. Eight athletes will then light the SEA Games cauldron to signal the official opening of the SEA Games 31.

At a recent meeting to review the preparations for SEA Games 31, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung stressed that the opening ceremony is one of the most important events that contribute to the overall success of the Games.

Therefore, he asked relevant units to coordinate closely to make detailed and thorough preparations for the ceremony. SEA Games 31 will be held in the capital city of Hanoi and 11 neighbouring provinces and cities from May 12 to 23. Featuring 40 sports with 526 events, it is expected to attract around 10,000 participants.

The host, Vietnam, has registered 965 athletes, including 534 males and 431 females. They are set to compete across all 40 sports of the Games, striving to win 140 gold, 77 silver and 71 bronze medals and secure the top place in the tally.

Source: NDO