The offer of free food and accommodations services from Cambodia, the host of the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, to sport delegations at the regional multisport event is likely to help Vietnam save about US$501,000.

Cambodia announced the unprecedented sponsorship on Tuesday.

The 2023 SEA Games is scheduled to take place in the capital city of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap Province, Preah Sihanouk Province, Kampot Province, and Kep Province from May 5 to 17.

The biennial Games is expected to draw the attendance of 11,000 athletes, coaches, referees, and officials from 11 delegations in 608 events over 48 sports.

The Southeast Asian Sports Federation stipulates that the food and accommodations allowance for each member of the sports delegations participating in the SEA Games held in any country must be $50 a day.

The host country also has to take care of all domestic transportation for the delegations.

With the offer of free meals and accommodations, Cambodia will have to spend about $550,000 on a daily basis for their hospitality, according to a sports official from Vietnam.

This translates to an amount of $5.5 million for the entire run of the SEA Games, given an average stay of ten days of each sports member, including a $501,500 portion to cover meals and accommodations for the Vietnamese sports delegation of 1,003 members, which was officially established on Monday.

As a result, Vietnam can save the $501,500 cost while still paying $400-500 for air tickets and a $20 per diem for incidentals and other expenses for each member.

In addition to gratis meals and accommodations, Cambodia also declared that all tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies and competitions at the SEA Games will be free of charge. 

There will also be no charge for the broadcasting rights to the event.

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