Phnom Penh: The Secretary General of Cambodia’s National Organizing Committee for the 32nd SEA Games, Vath Chamroeun, has announced that the inauguration of the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex is being scheduled for the end of November, although no exact date has been announced. The event will be presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who confirmed the inauguration after a meeting with the Southeast Asian Games Committee on Tuesday.

The meeting came a month after the Morodok Techo National Sports Complex was officially handed over to Cambodia by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The new sports complex is a gift from the People’s Republic of China and was built at a cost of $150 million. Its design, personally selected by the Prime Minister, is symbolic of the historic relationship between the two countries, with each represented by the stadium’s 99 metre high prows.

Vath Chamroeun says the inauguration ceremony will feature art and culture performances and a friendly international between Cambodia and China. This grand opening ceremony will pave the way for the hosting of the 2023 SEA Games by Cambodia, at which the Morodok Techo National Stadium will be the centre piece.

There has been no official indication yet if the public will be invited to watch the inauguration ceremony at the stadium, which has a seating capacity of 60,000, but the Prime Minister did say at the stadium handover that he would like to invite thousands of Cambodians to a grand opening as soon as it was safe to do so.