Cambodia is set to host the Southeast Asian Games for the first time, welcoming more than 11,000 athletes, coaches, and delegates from 11 countries to compete in a range of sports including athletics, swimming, badminton, football, and Kun Bokator, an ancient Cambodian martial art. The event will take place from May 14 to 17, with a new stadium built and paid for by China hosting the opening ceremony. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is hoping that the Games will boost national sentiment and promote tourism in the country, with tickets given away for free and schools and universities closed for a month to enable students to watch the competition. The SEA Para Games will follow in early June. China, whose athletes are not among the competitors, paid $160 million for the new stadium, while Cambodia has put the price tag for the Games excluding the stadium grant at $118 million.