The health crisis and the ravages of the Omicron variant will not change anything: the 31st edition of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) will indeed take place in spring 2022 in Vietnam. The organisers confirmed this on Monday 28 February at a press conference in Hanoi. The multi-sport event is scheduled to take place from 12 to 23 May in Hanoi and 11 neighbouring cities, including Quang Ninh, Phu Tho and Bac Ninh. It is expected to feature 40 sports and 526 events, with an announced participation of nearly 10,000 athletes. The Southeast Asian Games were originally scheduled for November 2021, but have been postponed for six months. At this stage of preparation, no decision has yet been taken on the question of the public, but the options of a closed-door venue and a very small capacity are not ruled out. Vietnam has seen a surge in COVID-19 infections in recent weeks, particularly in the northern regions of the country. On Sunday 27 February, a record 86,990 new cases were recorded, up by more than 9,000 cases from the previous day. Vietnam has hosted the event only once since its inception in 2003.
