South East Asia Games open in Myanmar

While competition began last week, the 27th Southeast Asian Games officially began on Wednesday with a lavish opening ceremony in the Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw.

Held every two years, the ASEAN region's biggest sporting event are being held in Myanmar for the first time more than 40 years.

The SEA Games is featuring 33 sports, with the sporting and athletics competition staples such as track and field, basketball, swimming and boxing being joined by regional sports such as sepak takraw, a cross between football and volleyball, and pencak silat, a form of martial arts.

Myanmar is playing host to over 5,900 athletes from 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, as well as host Myanmar.

The main sports venues for the Games will be the Wunna Theikdi and Zayar Thiri Stadiums in the capital Nay Pyi Taw along with other facilities in Yangon, Mandalay and Ngwehsaung. The Games Sports Village, including accommodation hostels, training venues and other facilities, has also been built in Nay Pyi Taw.

The SEA Games are seen as uniting presence in the disparate ASEAN region and offer a vital platform for south east Asian nations to excel in international sporting competition.

First staged in 1959, Myanmar hosted the SEA Games in 1961 and 1969.

For more information go to www.27seagames2013.com