SEA Games 29: 5,249 medals = 5,249 baskets of seedlings
What will the athletes receive on the podium? A medal, a stuffed mascot like in other tournaments, but at the SEA Games 2017 there will be a completely different gift: a basket of soil containing a sapling.
5,249 medals = 5,249 baskets of seedlings
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| Archer Chau Kieu Oanh holds a basket of saplings for the medalist. Photo: Nguyen Khanh |
Of course, these baskets of green plants are only symbolic for the athletes. They cannot take this special reward home. Instead, they will leave them in some places in Malaysia. We have witnessed this special image over the past few days in archery, the first medal event of the Vietnamese sports delegation at the 2017 SEA Games. And in every competition, the reward will always be the same. A total of 5,249 baskets of saplings, corresponding to 5,249 medals, were given to the athletes at the 2017 SEA Games in a program called “One medal, one tree”.
Why trees? Mr. Fahmi Omar - head of communications for the 2017 SEA Games - explained: “Green and clean is the policy of the organizing committee. We want to leave a special legacy after this sports festival. The most important thing is not just sports, but a civilized, clean and healthy country in the eyes of tourists.”
The trees, which include various wild plants native to Malaysia, will be planted between October and March next year in forests in Perak, Kelantan and Terengganu. This is for the trees of foreign athletes. As for the trees of Malaysian medalists, they will be planted around the Bukit Jalil National Sports Complex and named by the medalists themselves – a special celebration and honor.
A green, clean SEA Games
The baskets of plants for athletes are just a symbol, the 2017 SEA Games organizing committee has many more practical actions revolving around the commitment to protect the environment, building a green, clean and beautiful country for the future of Malaysia. Walking around the stadiums in the days before the 2017 SEA Games officially opened, we saw thousands of bicycles scattered everywhere. Those are free bicycles for everyone coming to the SEA Games from athletes, reporters to spectators.
Each stadium has at least two bicycle stations, with dozens of bikes per station. People can borrow bikes to go anywhere, just remember to return them after use. Along with bikes, there are also subways and buses - public transport modes that are encouraged to be used at the SEA Games.
Of course, traveling by public transport takes a lot of time, but for fans and volunteers, they have been propagandized about this for a year. More than 1,000 volunteers will act as “green ambassadors” on the streets of Kuala Lumpur when the SEA Games officially opens, by guiding tourists on how to use public transport.
The importance of organizing a green and clean SEA Games has been so emphasized by the organizing committee that a committee has been set up called “Green Initiatives”. The work of this committee is divided into 5 parts, planting trees and promoting the use of public transport are just two of them. In addition, there is also anti-littering management, calculating how to save energy at stadiums and planning travel for people. Of the 20 sponsors of the 2017 SEA Games, 3 sponsors are dedicated to this “green and clean” goal.
Close all roads around Bukit Jalil on opening day
The Malaysian Olympic Committee has announced that all roads around the Bukit Jalil Sports Complex will be closed on August 19 to facilitate the opening ceremony of the SEA Games. Parking lots will be set up around the MRT and bus stations, and organizers have advised Malaysians to use public transport to attend the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony program was kept secret by the host, only saying that all tickets had been sold out a few days in advance. The opening ceremony will officially take place from 6pm local time (5pm Vietnam time), people are advised to arrive at the stadium two hours in advance to maintain order. |
According to TTO
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