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Fadhil Yunus
Because the area welcomes the highly-anticipated Southeast Asian (SEA) Video games in Hanoi, Vietnam this week, preparations have been in full swing, though largely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sporting scene in Brunei Darussalam has been muted during the last couple of years, however its involvement within the area’s premier multi-sport competition offers a trigger for optimism.
Strict restrictions laid out through the second wave of the pandemic final August, exacerbated by the emergence of the Omicron variant, disrupted the preparations of nationwide athletes, notably those that deliberate to make an look at main worldwide meets. The SEA Video games, historically held each two years, will mark the resumption of sports activities competitions – outdoors of soccer in Southeast Asia – because the begin of the pandemic.
Whereas home soccer leagues have already resumed, different mainstream sports activities generally held earlier than the pandemic, will as soon as once more transfer to the fore.
Robust measures and lockdowns enforced in a majority of the ASEAN nations dealt a heavy blow to sporting occasions akin to swimming and desk tennis, notably junior competitions.
In April 2020, the Beginner Swimming Union of Malaysia (ASUM) knowledgeable swimming federations of Southeast Asian nations concerning the postponement of the forty fourth Southeast Asian Age Group (SEA AG) Swimming Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The occasion serves as a platform for up-and-coming younger swimmers, seen because the succeeding technology within the SEA Video games, to showcase their abilities.
Equally, one of the best desk tennis prospects needed to wait for his or her shot at glory following the postponement of the annual Southeast Asian Junior and Cadet Desk Tennis Championships in view of the pandemic.
The rising vaccination fee internationally has contributed to the resumption of sporting actions, with the ASEAN Soccer Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup a notable occasion referring to the participation of Southeast Asian nations.
The SEA Video games was initially scheduled to happen in Hanoi in November final 12 months, however a spike in COVID-19 instances throughout quite a few Vietnam provinces led to its postponement.
The revised dates from Could 12-23 this 12 months had been confirmed after the federal government permitted the proposal by the Ministry of Tradition, Sports activities and Tourism.
The information got here as a breath of recent air for native athletes who haven’t been capable of partake in bodily competitions, with digital meets serving as the one life like avenue.
Regardless of uncertainty surrounding the nation’s athletes in latest instances, Brunei had been concerned in main worldwide competitions such because the Tokyo Olympics and the fifteenth FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates final 12 months.
The nation additionally participated within the ASEAN Soccer Federation (AFF) Underneath-23 Championship in February, whereas the nationwide soccer workforce accepted an invite by the Lao Soccer Federation to play Laos in a global pleasant match in step with the FIFA window.
Moreover, the nationwide futsal workforce marked their return to worldwide competitions following their look on the AFF Futsal Championship in Bangkok, Thailand final month.
The nationwide under-19 workforce can be at the moment actively getting ready for the AFF Underneath-19 Championship scheduled to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia in July.
As per custom, a nationwide flag handover ceremony graced by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, the President of Brunei Darussalam Nationwide Olympic Council (BDNOC), was held previous to the delegation’s journey to Hanoi.
The Sultanate is sending 16 officers and 23 athletes to the multi-sport showpiece, to compete in 4 sporting occasions – wushu, pencak silat, e-sports and karatedo. Will probably be Brunei’s first look in e-sports within the SEA Video games, whereas wushu, pencak silat and karatedo are a number of the sporting occasions the native nationwide athletes fare nicely in.
The nation loved some success within the earlier version of the SEA Video games in Manila, Philippines three years in the past, when Brunei athletes took house two gold medals, 5 silver and 6 bronze.
Vietnam final hosted the SEA Video games in 2003, with Brunei bagging one gold, one silver and eight bronze medals.
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