Think about postponing SEA Games over SARS, Malaysia tells Vietnam
KUALA LUMPUR, (AFP) The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) on Thursday, 16 April told Vietnam to be ready to postpone December's Southeast Asian Games if the deadly SARS virus outbreak drags on.
OCM secretary Sieh Kok Chi said he would propose that Vietnam draw up contingency plans, including a possible postponement of the 5-13 December Games at a meeting in Ho Chi Minh City this week.
Sieh said Malaysia may not send athletes to the Games if Vietnam, which has recorded five deaths due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and 63 suspected cases, was not declared free of the virus by then.
"If the epidemic persists until September, we may call for the SEA Games to be postponed to early next year," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.
The Vietnamese government has however, given an assurance that the mysterious SARS disease had been brought under control and was confined to Hanoi, he added.
No games have ever been postponed in the SEA Games history although the 1963 edition was cancelled after host Phnom Penh backed out, Bernama said.
Vietnam is hosting the Games for the first time, which is its biggest major sporting event in five years.
Most of the events will be held in Hanoi, but the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City, the northeastern port city of Haiphong, together with the northern provinces of Hai Duong, Ha Tay and Nam Dinh will also host some disciplines.
The World Health Organisation Tuesday said Vietnam has got the SARS outbreak under control but warned it still faced massive import of the disease through its 1,130-kilometre (700-mile) border with China.
Up to 5,000 people from China travel to and from Vietnam across the land border each day, while thousands arrive daily at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City airports.