With 30 sports disciplines initially listed in the calendar of events, Filipino organizers of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games are looking forward to a successful hosting and a great performance from the Philippines.
SEAG Federation Council president and Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas said this following the conclusion of the first meeting of the SEA Games Federation at the Shangri-La Hotel of the Bonifacio Global City on Thursday.
“There are two things that will make this a success. First, we show our best foot forward as hosts and give the best we can. Second, we at least improve our performance and make it to the top 3. But it will be best if we get the overall championship,” said Vargas.
Vargas talked to the media at the end of a two-day meeting attended by some 80 sports leaders from 10 countries in the SEA region.
The council initially approved the inclusion of 30 sports disciplines in the calendar events of the Games to be hosted by the Philippines from Nov. 30 to Dec. 10, 2019.
Approved for inclusion are athletics, aquatics, archery, badminton, baseball and softball, basketball, billiard sports, tenpin bowling, boxing cycling, equestrian and polo, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, judo and jiujitsu, karatedo, sailing, sepak takraw, shooting and squash.
The council also gave its nod to taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and kurash, wushu, arnis, dancesport and muay.
Vargas said there will be more sports to be added as they still await for recommendations from member countries until the June 30 deadline.
Representatives from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam joined sports leaders from the host country in crafting the overall look of the SEA Games.
Vargas discussed the calendar of events during the meeting with POC chairman Rep. Abraham Tolentino, POC secretary-general Patrick Gregorio and Planning and Coordination Office executive director Tats Suzara, along with SEA Games Federation chairman Celso Dayrit and Indonesian National Olympic Committee Chairman Eric Thohir.
During the meeting, the council also approved a proposal of the women in sports committee to hold a program called “Me and My Champ.”
That program, which was crafted by Cynthia Carrion and Karen Caballero, will have mothers of athletes who are aged 16 years and below going into the network that supports sports and education programs. Peter Atencio
The council also approved the medical committee’s recommendation to have a meeting of the Asian Sports Medicine Federation a few days before the Games are held. The medical committee is headed by Dr. George Canlas.