Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Anh Tuan, Head of the Information and Communications Subcommittee (Photo: tdtt.gov.vn)

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Anh Tuan, Head of the Information and Communications Subcommittee, said SEA Games organization has ensured progress and met quality requirements of an international sporting event.

Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management and Deputy Head of the Subcommittee on Health and Doping Control, called on sports delegations, the media and fans to join hands for "smoke-free SEA Games".

The SEA Games Organizing Committee’s regulations aim to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco and bans tobacco advertising or marketing in any form at the Games. Participants are not allowed to smoke at all venues and smoking images on publications related to SEA Games are banned.

Technology is also a much talked about topic. Ha Lam Tu Quynh, Google Asia-Pacific Communications Director in charge of Vietnam, said that this is the first SEA Games that Google has created a tool featuring the trend of searching for content about the Games. Previously, only major sporting events like the Olympics appeared on this popular trending search engine. This is also the first time, Google creates a separate page for SEA Games in Vietnam, which is updated every four hours.