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Jan 18, 2018 / 15:17

Ho Chi Minh City plans large-scale construction works for SEA Games 31

Ho Chi Minh City will focus on constructing Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center and other projects to host the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games 31) with a budget of over VND15 trillion (US$686.8 million).

Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center.
Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center.
The proposal to use 3ha of land at Phu Tho Horse Racing Ground in District 11, to pay for Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center's investors has been submitted to PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, announced the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
Accordingly, Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center will have a seating capacity of 4,000-5,000 and have multi-purpose and outdoor sports areas and a performance stage for cultural and music events. Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center will also contain press and television centers, and will host gymnastics and billiards-snooker events as well as the SEA Games 31 closing ceremony. The project, which will be developed under the build-transfer (BT) format, will commence construction early this year to be completed by the end of 2020.
In addition to the VND200 billion needed to upgrade 22 stadiums, Ho Chi Minh City will invest over VND15 trillion (US$686.8 million) into Rach Chiec Sports Complex and Phan Dinh Phung Sports Center to host SEA Games 31 in 2021.
The investment will be used for site clearance, infrastructure development, and expenditures to host the event, according to a plan the city sent to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on January 8. The organization of the regional sporting event will help raise the stature and prestige of the city, which is a political, economic, and cultural hub of the country, the municipal government said.
To host the tournament in mid-August 2021 with 36 sports categories and nearly 10,000 athletes and trainers, Ho Chi Minh City will have to upgrade Thong Nhat and Quan Khu 7 Stadiums, Phu Tho, Lanh Binh Thang, and Tan Binh Indoor Stadiums, Phu Tho Sports Training Center, Phu Tho Swimming Club, Phu Tho Tennis Club, and Nguyen Du Culture and Sports Club.
Another large project to develop is Rach Chiec Sports Complex in District 2, which will require an investment of more than VND8 trillion. To ensure sufficient funding for site clearance, the city will divide the project into small components, making investment in each component more affordable.
The city will also complete a roofed stadium with a minimum capacity of 50,000 seats, athletics tracks, and an area for athletes to warm up before competitions. The city government has allowed investors to develop the stadium with a total cost of VND3.1 trillion. The stadium is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
Ho Chi Minh City authorities will pool the necessary investment from the city’s development budget, private sources, regular expenditures  in the 2016-2021 period, and the State budget.