September 2, 2025 | 10:13 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The organizing committee for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand has decided to reduce the number of football matches for both men’s and women’s teams. This change aims to maintain athletes' fitness and minimize the risk of injury.
According to Preecha Laloon, Deputy Governor of the Thailand Sports Authority (SAT) and a committee member for the 33rd SEA Games, the new format will make the competition more intense while reducing player fatigue. With fewer matches, each team must be more focused and perform at their best.
As reported on the official SEA Games 2025 website, the new preliminary round will consist of three groups with three to four teams each. Teams will play in a half-competition system, where the champion of each group and the best runner-up will advance to the semifinals.
This new structure means each team will play only four to five matches throughout the tournament, a decrease from the previous format of six to seven matches in a ten-day period.
Preecha added that this change is also expected to make the competition more entertaining. "Our main focus is the quality of the matches, as well as reducing the risk of injury due to the tight SEA Games schedule," he said.
However, Preecha emphasized that the official schedule for the football matches is not yet final.
The current schedule circulating online is a draft that still needs to be adjusted for live broadcasts and other sporting events.
"Football is one of the events that will be broadcast live, so we are coordinating with other sports to finalize the most suitable match and broadcast timetable. The official schedule will be announced very soon," Preecha stated.
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