Sultan Bolkiah visits SEA Games village
By Ivy Susanti
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Brunei Darussalam leader Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah paid a surprise visit to the region's best sportsmen and women in the athletes village here, hours before officially opening the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Saturday.
Most people in the village, which accommodates 4,300 athletes, were unaware of the presence of the Sultan, who toured the complex on a golf cart.
Malaysian National Olympics Committee president Tan Sri Imran Ibni Tuanku Jafar said he was surprised by the unexpected royal visit.
"It's a great honor that the Sultan spared his time to see us here," Jafar told The Jakarta Post.
Malaysian athletes and officials, who are staying in the first three apartment blocks, were the first to receive the courtesy visit from the Sultan.
Sultan Bolkiah began his tour of the village at around 9:30 a.m. local time. He was accompanied by Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is also chairman of the Malaysian Football Association, Prince Surfri Bolkiah, the sultan's brother and chairman of the Brunei Darussalam SEA Games organizing committee, and other officials.
The Sultan inspected the organizing committee's office inside the village before beginning his tour.
The village, situated on Jl. Ong Sum Ping near the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex, has 474 fully furnished apartments, each of which has three or four bedrooms.
After visiting the Malaysian team, the Sultan met with athletes from Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, Laos, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore.
Sultan Bolkiah met with athletes and officials, spoke to them and shook their hands.
It was apparent the Malaysians were unprepared for the visit. Other foreign contingents, having some warning, stood in front of their apartments to greet the Sultan.
Some athletes waved their national flags, while a number of Cambodian athletes gave the Sultan a tae kwon do exhibition.
A Filipino soccer player, Leigh Gunn, could not hide his astonishment.
"I'm honored he has the time to meet the athletes personally," said the 18-year-old player, who turned down an offer from English premier side Aston Villa earlier this year so he could represent his country at the SEA Games.
Indonesia's SEA Games training director and deputy chef de mission, Imron Z. Syarifudin, said he was amazed by the visit.
"This is a rare occasion. Brunei's Sultan is different from other leaders. He is very sympathetic, wise and has great leadership skills. He came here just to make sure that everything was running well, although he could have asked his subordinates.
"This is the first time Brunei is hosting the Games and I think the Sultan wants to provide the best for his guests," he said.
Sultan Bolkiah asked Indonesian chef de mission Mochammad Hindarto how the Indonesian athletes were enjoying their stay in Brunei.
"He asked me in Malay. I told him that all of the Indonesian athletes were very happy to be here," Hindarto said.
The Sultan ended his tour at the 1,200-seat dining hall, where he ate lunch with athletes and sports officials.