Philippines vows for "pleasant, productive, memorable" SEA Games

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Xinhua, November 24, 2019
Adjust font size:

MANILA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines promised on Sunday a "pleasant, productive, and memorable" 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, as it apologized to the athletes from Timor-Leste, Myanmar and Cambodia "for the inconvenience they experienced" when they arrived in Manila.

"Incidents of delays in transport and checking-in at hotels happen in international sports and games by reason of the number of countries and athletes involved. We can no longer undo what has been done," Philippine presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo noted that "there is no report of any incident jeopardizing [the athletes'] safety and their health."

Football teams from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Timor-Leste complained about their long wait at the airport when they arrived over the weekend. Myanmar athletes also said they were brought to the wrong hotel, preventing them from training on Saturday night.

The Thailand football team has also complained of accreditation and accommodation issues that delayed their practise.

Panelo said the office of President Rodrigo Duiterte will not offer any excuses. "As the host country, we apologize for the unintentional inconvenience suffered by our athlete-guests," he said.

"What is more important and more pressing is the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) has committed to do better in ensuring proper coordination from the arrival of the athletes to their transportation and hotel accommodations," he said.

"We are not promising that the Games will run without a hitch, given the countless athletes who will participate and represent their respective countries, but we will exercise due diligence in making sure everyone will have a pleasant, productive and memorable stay in the Philippines," he added.

Panelo also said the Philippines wish all the participating athletes good luck. "We look forward to their excellent and hopefully world record-breaking performances."

The Philippines is to host the 2019 SEA Games from November 30 to December 11.

PHISGOC said the 30th SEA Games is the biggest yet, as it features 56 sports and over 540 events spread across 39 venues on the country's main Luzon island.

Over 10,000 athletes and coaches from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam will participate in the biennial multi-sport meet, the organizers said.

The Philippine National Police said approximately 20,000 police and security personnel will be deployed to provide security to the participants. Enditem

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
ChinaNews App Download
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter