SEA Games go to Philippines

MANILA The Philippines has agreed to host the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games after the two other countries next in line, Brunei and Vietnam, declined, a sports official said Sunday.
This was agreed upon during a SEA Games Federation executive meeting in Singapore in June when Brunei, which was scheduled for the 2019 games, asked to pass due to “organisational reasons,” said Joey Romasanta, spokesman of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
Vietnam, the 2021 hosts, also declined so the federation offered the event to the Philippines, he told AFP.
The federation must still issue a formal invitation to the Philippines, which the country must accept, but in principle, the Philippines is assured of being the venue, Romasanta said.
inside no 9“We agreed to host it but formalities still have to be complied with,” he added.
The cash-strapped country is not likely to build new facilities, but will use existing arenas, stadiums and hotels for the games, he added.
One request is that all the games be accessible by land unlike the last SEA Games in the country when some sporting events were held in the central islands.
The sprawling, former US airbase of Clark, north of Manila, which has been turned into a light industrial zone and tourism centre, will likely serve as the base of the games, but some events will be held elsewhere.
“All we need is a state-of-the-art track oval. We can work on that,” Romasanta remarked.
He said the funding for the games has yet to be determined as they will still select certain sports and events.

sourced:ttrweekly.com