Kuala lumpur: The National Sports Council (MSN) has opted for the land route to bring the national contingent to Songkhla for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand next month. MSN director-general Jefri Ngadirin stated that the decision was made after several meetings with sports associations and the contingent management, taking into account the proximity of the province to the Malaysian border.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, discussions were also held with representatives from the Malaysian Consulate in Songkhla, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah, and the Immigration Department of Malaysia. These discussions addressed logistical matters, including the entry of the national contingent into the region. Jefri mentioned that the athletes would stay one night at UUM before proceeding to Songkhla. The journey to Songkhla takes six hours from UUM, and from the border, it is only about an hour and a half. This arrangement allows athletes more rest time, as they will depart three days earlier instead of two days before, depending on their event schedules.

The announcement followed a sponsorship agreement signing ceremony between MSN and local sports goods company, Corporate Hero Century Sdn Bhd (PACE), which was held today. Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh was present to witness the ceremony. Among the sports contested in Songkhla are football, chess, kabaddi, karate, and pencak silat.

Malaysia is set to send 1,688 contingent members, including 1,166 athletes, to the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, marking the largest participation in the nation’s history of the biennial event. In addition to Songkhla, the Thailand 2025 SEA Games, scheduled to take place from December 9 to 20, will also involve two other provinces – Bangkok and Chonburi.