On the afternoon of November 26, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC) sent a formal notice to the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) and the Thai SEA Games Organizing Committee (THASOC), announcing the decision to not participate in eight disciplines. These include football, sepak takraw, pétanque, wrestling, judo, karate, pencak silat, and wushu.

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U22 Cambodia withdraws from SEA Games 33.

Despite this withdrawal, Cambodia confirmed it will still take part in 13 sports: swimming, athletics, esports, fencing, gymnastics, jujitsu, kickboxing, taekwondo, equestrian, jetski, triathlon, teqball, and volleyball.

Cambodia’s exit, announced just days before the games begin, presents significant scheduling and organizational challenges for the event.

The most critical impact is on the men’s football tournament. With U22 Cambodia pulling out, Group A now includes only two teams: host nation Thailand and Timor Leste.

As of now, the SEA Games organizers have not released any official decisions regarding a revised schedule or a redraw for the men's football groups. However, it's highly likely that one team from Group C - currently comprising four teams - will be moved to Group A.

Group C currently includes U22 Indonesia (top seed), U22 Singapore, U22 Philippines, and U22 Myanmar.

This development raises concerns not only about scheduling fairness but also the competitive balance across groups.

Dai Nam