PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Information has said that the media plays an important role in inspiring people to participate in sports, because sports not only helps people to stay healthy, but also helps to build the country's reputation.

At a press conference on the Road to the 2023 SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games, held on Friday, 7 May, in the auditorium of the Morodok Techo National Stadium, the Minister of Information, Khieu Kanharith, urged journalists and other media representatives to be diligent in inspiring participation in sports, in line with the slogan "one people, one sport". He also urged the media to do more to show the efforts of capable athletes in Cambodia, so that the public knows and understands more about sports, in order to further promote the field’s growth.

The Minister said that as Cambodia prepares to host the upcoming SEA Games and Para Games in 2023, journalists have a very important role to play in sharing information about sports in the media because these major sporting events help raise the profile of the host country to others abroad, and makes more people aware about the ability of Cambodian athletes.

He said, "First, we need to find ways to inspire our people to adopt new sporting habits, second, to inspire people to love sports and be able to talk about the history of different sports, and third, to look for new generations of athletes. These three points are the responsibility of journalists. The sports committee, they train the athletes, but we have a role in the media to promote our athletes and think that if we do well, we will get success, as sports are very important."

According to the Royal Government of Cambodia, the opening ceremony for the 32nd SEA Games is set for 5 May 2023, while the closing ceremony is expected to be held on 17 May 2023. After the SEA Games, Cambodia will continue to organize another big sporting event, which is the 12th ASEAN Para Games, which will run from 1-10 June 2023.