END TO COLOUR, CHAOS

SEA Games close in Bangkok in shower of fireworks at a half-empty stadium

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Fireworks lighting up the sky at the closing ceremony of the SEA Games at the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok on Dec 20.

(LIANHE ZAOBAO)

A half-empty Rajamangala National Stadium set the scene for the closing ceremony on Dec 20, when Thailand bade farewell to the SEA Games with an understated but fitting end to the biennial sporting event held in Bangkok and Chonburi.

And unlike the opening ceremony which was devoid of pyrotechnics - this time the night ended with colourful fireworks lighting up the sky.

With thousands of empty seats visible in the 51,000-seater venue - the 90-minute ceremony, like the opening show on Dec 9 at the same venue, kicked off with a tribute to Thailand's late Queen Mother Sirikit.

The sombre start soon made way for the first performance of the night, a 12-minute show of music, dance and laser lights.

As the audience lapped up the performances, the hosts could finally breathe a sigh of relief after a 12-day event that saw over 12,000 athletes competing for honours across 50 medal sports.

While there were many moments of joy and inspiration, the 33rd SEA Games will also be remembered for its chaos and controversy.

Ahead of the Dec 9-20 event, the hosts were hit by a series of issues and incidents the floods in the south, death of the Queen Mother and the ongoing border conflicts with Cambodia.