(Eagle News) – The country bidding for the next 2030 Asian Games is now a possibility after the Olympic Council of Asia said it was impressed with how the Philippines had handled so far the 30th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who chairs the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC), said he would write a long memo to President Rodrigo Duterte asking him if the country can submit a bid for the 2030 Asian Games.
“If we do win that bid, the host will be the administration after the next administration. So we will have a good 10-year period to prepare,” he said Wednesday.
Cayetano said this after no less than the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) vice president Wei Jizhong expressed his opinion that the Philippines was ready to host ‘bigger-scale” sports events.
-OCA official impressed with PHL Arena –
Wei said he was also very impressed with the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena where the 2019 SEA Games opening was held.
The OCA official noted that in the Philippine Arena SEA Games opening, all the athletes were allowed to parade, unlike in the other games where there was a limit as to the number of athletes who can participate in the parade.
“In the Philippine Arena, I think in the Philippine Arena is the unique biggest indoor arena in the world,” Wei Jizhong said.
“We witnessed the enthusiasm of all the participants, all the athletes,” he said.
“You allowed all the athletes to walk in,” Wei said, noting that “the parade is the honor for the athletes.
The OCA Vice-President also said that the Philippines is even ready in hosting games of bigger scale such as the Asian Games.
-PHL, best SEAGames organizer –
The PHISGOC on Tuesday was recognized as the best organizer of the Southeast Asian Games after the staging world-class opening ceremonies at the 55,000 seater Philippine Arena that has gained the admiration of viewers all over the world, as well as for organizing the biggest SEA Games so far, with 56 sports comprising 530 events.
The recognition comes from the Sports Industry Awards (SPIA) Asia, considered as the region’s leading sports business conference and awards platform. It recognizes and celebrates the achievements of the Asian sports industry for the past years.
-OCA official praises PHL leadership for early SEA Games apology-
Earlier, OCA Vice President Wei also commended the Philippines for apologizing for whatever problems there were in the beginning on the SEA Games’ hosting, saying this meant the country’s leadership was “keen to provide the athletes with the best condition.”
“To have some problems in the beginning of the game, in all the games, including Asian Games, we have similar happenings,” he noted.
“But the republic government and the speaker of the parliament apologized, this is the first time. I have never heard of it before,” he said.
With Philippine leaders owning up to lapses, the Philippines shows that it is ready to host more “bigger-scale games,” he said. “That means the high authority of the country is keen to provide the athletes with the best condition,” Wei observed.