VIENTIANE, Laos — In the next fortnight, this sleepy city of 500,000 will spread the red carpet to thousands of participants in the 25th Southeast Asian Games.

Athletes and officials have started to arrive in this former French colony that is hosting the Games for the first time.

Football, water polo, table tennis and sepak takraw are scheduled ahead of the opening ceremonies on Wednesday.

With the help of China, Japan, Brunei, South Korea, Vietnam and Thailand, Laos poured millions of dollars to build a national sports complex and refurbish existing facilities.

The vast complex, built at a cost of $100 million, sits on a 125-hectare site in Dong Sanghine Village in Seythany District.

Construction began in October, 2007, involving 3,000 Chinese workers and completed just weeks before the start of the Games. It was undertaken by the China Yunnan Construction Engineering Corp.

The complex comprises two indoor stadiums, each with a 3,000-seat capacity.

It also has an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a shooting range and a warm-up area.

The main stadium, where the opening and closing ceremonies would be held, sits 20,000 and will be used for football and track and field events.

The complex was built through a joint project between the Laos government and the China Development Bank.

More than 5,000 athletes from 11 countries will be housed at the Games Village located at the National University.

The village was built by Vietnamese firm Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) through a $4 million aid and another interest-free loan from the Vietnamese government.

Since there are only 4,000 beds available, local athletes may have to stay in their respective homes.

The village opened last November 25.

The Chao Anouvong Stadium, which used to be the national stadium, has also been renovated and will host the qualifying round of football.

The original plan was to spread the event to three cities, but was shelved due to lack of funds. All the events will be held in Vientiane and its confines.

Laos scrapped basketball, claiming it had to no venue to hold it, but spent $15 million to construct a golf course.

The communist nation of six million still relies heavily on foreign development aid with 10 percent of the population living below the international poverty line.

The Games, however, have roused the host country to action.

The capital is being spruced up, the roads being expanded from the narrow two lanes to four. A number of new hotels, some owned by Malaysians, emerged.

There is police presence in key intersections of the capital, ensuring a problem-free Games.

Laos’ hosting comes 50 years after the Indochina nation co-founded the Games.

From 43 sports in Thailand two years ago, Laos trimmed it down to just 25, sparking complaints from member countries.

The addition of obscure sports of fin swimming and shuttlecock hopes to improve the chances of the host country, but contending for the overall title is out of question.

Laos officials hope to corner at least 25 gold medals, a big jump from the five golds they won two years ago and three in 2005.

Since SEAG inception, Laos has won only 11 golds, 27 silvers and 101 bronzes.

In contrast, Thailand has already collected 1,692 golds, including 374 golds when the event was known as the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games.

The Philippines, which joined the Games in 1977, has a tally of 763 golds, the region’s fourth best.