Lim Teck Yin, Executive Committee Chairman of Singapore's SEA Games Organising Committee.

The 28th SEA Games and the 8th ASEAN Para Games will be held in June and December 2015, respectively, in Singapore, during the island nation's 50th anniversary year.

All eyes are on Singapore which will host the region's biggest multi-sport event, the SEA Games.

On the occasion of Singapore 2015 Launch Party held at Gardens by the Bay, Tuyet Hoa interviewed Lim Teck Yin, Executive Committee Chairman of Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC)

Could you tell me in brief about the preparations for the upcoming SEA Games in Singapore?

As the host of the 28th SEA Games, the organising committee is well on its way in planning for the region's biggest multi-sport event which is slated to take place in Singapore from June 5 to 16, 2015.

We have started to recruit volunteers and have received commitments for 12,000 out of the 15,000 volunteers that we need.

We have also begun to identify the sports venues, many of which will be in central Singapore where the Singapore Sports Hub is being built.

On February 15, we launched the logos of the 28th SEA Games and 8th ASEAN Para Games, along with the mascot and tag line, "Celebrate the Extraordinary".

Some newspapers have said that "the SEA Games is like a pond of the region (kampong) where there are not many Olympic Sports. The host will always want to include sports events in which they will be able to get the most medals." What do you think about these comments?

The SEA Games has its own relevance to our countries, and creates the platform for sports that are popular and important to the SEA region.

As the host nation, Singapore wants to provide a selection of sports which are not just attractive to our domestic audience but will also contribute to the larger objectives of the SEA Games Federation and the member countries.

How many sporting events are you planning to have at the SEA Games?

The Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) has so far announced 30 sporting events, and there is leeway to include five to six more events to this list which will be made known later this year, after confirmation by the SEA Games Federation.

What are your thoughts about Singapore being the host nation? Do you hope that Singapore will top the rankings? Or do you hope the Games will become a place of exchange for ASEAN countries?

The SEA Games is returning to Singapore after 22 years and will coincide with Singapore's 50th birthday.

As a nation, we are proud and excited to be able to host these Games, especially as the younger generation has yet to experience the SEA Games.

Realistically, we know that we will not be able to top the medals table but we will do our very best to give the nation something to cheer about. We also want all competitors across South-east Asia to be able to compete in a fair manner for the glory and honour of their countries and people. May the best athletes win!

According to the schedule, SNOC will organise a SEA Games Federation meeting. What would be the main issues at the meeting?

The SEAGF Medical Committee and the SEAGF Sport & Rules Committee will meet on the morning of April 28 to discuss their respective matters, in relation to the SEA Games 2015.

After lunch, the SEAGF Executive Committee will meet to follow up on concerns raised in the two meetings that would be held earlier that morning.

On the morning of April 29, the SEAGF Council will meet to decide on matters on the agenda brought forth by the Executive Committee.

One of the main items will be the SEAGF Council's approval of the list of sports and events for the 28th edition of the SEA Games 2015. Following the SEAGF Council's approval of the 36 sports and events, the list will stay unchanged right up to the games. — VNS