Singapore to bid for 2011 Southeast Asia Games

SINGAPORE, Apr 21 (Reuters) Singapore wants to step in for impoverished Cambodia as host for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games.

The Singapore National Olympic Committee (SNOC) is to front a bid to stage the regional Games with the support of the city state's sports council (SSC) and sports ministry.

''Cambodia had never hosted it before, so the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) neighbours were happy to give them that opportunity,'' SSC chief Oon Jin Teik told today's Today newspaper.

''Now that they've pulled out, and with the Sports Hub due to be up by mid 2011, we are going to put in a bid.'' Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said last month his nation would skip its turn to host the 2011 event because it would be too costly and the money was needed to host a regional ASEAN summit in the capital Phnom Penh in 2012.

Singapore would use the SEA Games to showcase its new Sports Hub.

Due for completion in 2011, it will comprise a new 55,000 capacity national stadium, and indoor stadium, indoor arena and aquatic centre.

The SEA Games is a biannual multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The last Games took place in the Philippines in 2005. Next year's version is due to be held in Thailand.

Cambodia also bowed out as host of the 2003 SEA Games because its 1950s Olympic Stadium was not ready due to damage and neglect after nearly three decades of civil war.

REUTERS PM BD0902