SEA Games 33 may reduce the number of football matches

Football matches at SEA Games 33 may be shortened - Photo: Bao Ngoc .

The 33rd SEA Games is scheduled to take place from December 9 to December 20 in three cities in Thailand: Bangkok, Chonburi and Songkhla. There are currently 11 teams registered to compete in men's football, while 9 teams have registered to compete in women's football.

Previously, teams were divided into two groups, playing a round robin to determine the top two teams in each group to advance to the semi-finals. However, this year, host Thailand is considering changing the format to shorten the number of matches, thereby reducing the workload for the players.

The Football Association of Thailand (FAT) Technical Committee has proposed dividing the teams into three groups. After the group stage, the top three teams and the best second-placed team will advance to the semi-finals.

The FAT said that this format will help reduce the number of matches each team has to play, from 6-7 matches in 10 days to about 4-5 matches. This is to ensure the players' physical strength and limit the risk of injury when the competition schedule is dense. In case the number of participating teams is not enough to divide into 3 groups, the organizing committee will return to the traditional 2-group plan.

In addition to changing the competition format, FAT has also approved age regulations for men's football. Accordingly, only U22 players (born from January 1, 2003 onwards) are eligible to participate. This is considered a solution for teams to prepare for the U23 Asian finals taking place in the following even-numbered years.

To date, Thailand is the most successful team in men's football at the SEA Games with 7 championships. Meanwhile, Vietnam's women's football team holds the record with 8 gold medals.

Source: https://znews.vn/sea-games-33-co-the-giam-so-tran-dau-mon-bong-da-post1548256.html