27-11-2025 (BANGKOK) Cambodia announced Thursday it will withdraw from eight events at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, citing security risks that threaten athlete safety. The decision, detailed in a letter from the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), reduces the country’s delegation to 150 athletes across 13 disciplines, down from an initial 333 competitors.
Affected sports include football, petanque, wrestling, judo, and karate, though full details on the remaining three were not immediately specified. NOCC Secretary General Vath Chamroeun emphasized the move prioritizes protection, stating it simplifies oversight of the smaller group. The pullout comes against a backdrop of escalating disputes with host nation Thailand over a disputed border region, rooted in French colonial-era mappings of ancient temples.
Intermittent clashes since earlier this year have claimed over 40 lives, including in July fighting, before a U.S.-brokered truce largely quelled hostilities.
