Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian contingent's Chef de Mission (CdM) for the 2023 SEA Games Lexyndo Hakim expressed optimism about the Indonesian athletes' readiness to compete in the upcoming multi-sport event.

The 2023 Southeast Asian Games, which is the 32nd edition of the SEA Games, will be hosted by Cambodia and held on May 5-17, 2023.

"God Willing, they are ready. They had competed in the 2021 SEA Games, so the gap (with the 2023 SEA Games) is not too long, yet ideally, they will prepare themselves properly," Hakim stated at the Jakarta International Velodrome here on Friday (February 24).

The CdM expressed confidence that athletes participating in the 2023 SEA Games after competing in the last SEA Games, hosted by Vietnam yet postponed until May 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would maintain their top performance.

Sports federations and relevant parties must give full support to athletes competing in the upcoming event, he affirmed.

"The (gap) between the SEA Games' iterations is only one year. Hence, athletes stay in their peak performance, and we must continue to maintain their (physical) stamina and conditions," Hakim emphasized.

Meanwhile, Hakim confirmed to have paid a visit to Cambodia to observe the sporting venues for the multi-sport event and organized meetings with the CdM team to discuss venue conditions and job assignments after returning from Cambodia.

He stated that the CdM team will divide their job assignments according to the athletes' needs at each competition's venue cluster, which the host Cambodia has divided into four in Kampot and Kep, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap, and Phnom Penh.

"We will recheck it in detail, so our athletes will not become confused (there). We will also ensure that they are comfortable and will focus only on delivering their achievements, as we are taking care of all other aspects," Hakim affirmed.

Apart from ensuring prime physical performance, the CdM also highlighted the need to support the athletes' mental health, including by motivating them and nurturing their optimism.


Related news: Indonesian wushu team eyes four golds at 2023 SEA Games
Related news: Athletes to compete abroad to prepare for SEA Games
Related news: PBESI begins preparations for 2023 SEA Games



Translator: Arnidhya Nur Z, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2023