Olympic Council of Malaysia Secretary General Sieh Kok Chi "has laid out a roadmap to help Cambodia prepare a master plan to host the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in the Kingdom for the first time since the inception of the biennial event in 1959," according to H.S. Manjunath of the PHNOM PENH POST. In a two-part presentation, Kok Chi guided the top brass of the Nation Olympic Committee of Cambodia and member federations "through the challenges that they have to face in the run up to the nomination deadline." In regards to timeline, he said that "the 10-year target that Cambodia has set for itself is really commendable." It gives them "plenty of time to prepare very well." He also added that infrastructure development "is the most challenging issue for any host nation." Do not build "too many, too big and too expensive." You need "to strike a balance between what is a dire need for the big show and its post-Games utility because costs to maintain these giant facilities will be too high." In terms of budget, Kok Chi said that keeping cost escalation in mind, the Games could cost as much as $30M or slightly more, and "that is the figure we in Malaysia are looking at for the 2017 Games." He also pointed to the Games' legacy and said that these Games "leave a lasting legacy apart from short- and medium-term impacts." It is "very important to determine what legacy will be left behind and how well the Games be remembered." Every host country "wants to be the best" (PHNOM PENH POST, 10/23).
