2019 Southeast Asian Games

The 2019 Southeast Asian Games will be the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport event scheduled to take place in the Philippines.^[1] It will be the fourth time the SEA Games will be held in the country, having hosted the event previously in 1981, 1991, and 2005. The hosting rights were originally awarded to Brunei Darussalam,^[2] but days before the 2015 Southeast Asian Games the country pulled out due to "financial and logistical reasons."^[3]

Development

Host selection and Brunei's withdrawal

On 18 July 2012, Brunei was selected to host the 30th Southeast Asian Games. This was the second time that Brunei will host the Games, the first and only of which was the 1999 edition wherein they place seventh overall. The country was slated to host the 2017 edition but the Sultanate wanted to host this Games instead of the former.^[2] Brunei plans to upgrade its sports facilities and build a new national stadium in Salambigar to accommodate the Games.^[4]

However, on 4 June 2015, Brunei withdrew its hosting rights at the meeting in the Southeast Asian Games Federation Council after the said country's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports had failed to give support for the said Games.^[5] The withdrawal of Brunei's hosting rights were also due to the country's lack of sporting facilities, accommodation, and preparation of their athletes.^[3]

Host replacement

Provincial Sports Coordinator and Assistant Provincial Administrator Giovanni Gulanes reveals Davao del Norte's bid to host the 2019 Southeast Asian Games at the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo. July 2016.

With Brunei's withdrawal, the Philippines had expressed its interest to host the Games; the Philippines last hosted the Games in the 2005 edition where they emerged as the overall champion.^[6] They are also slated to host the 2025 edition.^[7] On the other hand, Thailand had also expressed its interest to host the games. Gen Yutthasak Sasipraba, President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, had talks with three senior executives from the Philippines about their doubts of their country to host the Games; Thailand last hosted the Games in 2007, placing as the champion.^[8] Vietnam, the 2021 Southeast Asian Games host, was also offered to host this edition, but declined.^[9]

On 10 July 2015, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) announced that the Philippines will be hosting the Games and it will be held in Manila.^[10] However in July 2016, following a proposal by POC chair Peping Cojuangco,^[11] the main host city was changed to Davao City a move later approved by President Rodrigo Duterte, a Davao native.^[12]

Preparation

An organizing committee is planned to be formed within January 2016.^[13] POC board members will meet up on February 5 to discuss the preparations for this upcoming event.^[14]

Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) is also willingly expressed to host few sports events in the SEA Games as a satellite venue.^[15]

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda also expressed his intentions for Albay to host few sports events in the 2019 SEA Games after its successful hosting of the Palarong Pambansa 2016. He has been in talks with the Philippine Sports Commission about staging SEAG events.^[16]

PSC Chairman Ramirez, recently met with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to request a letter to ensure the government's guarantee in hosting the event.^[17]

Venues

The Davao del Norte Sports Complex is among the prospect venues to be inspected for the games.^[18]

The Philippine Sports Commission, instead of building new facilities, planned to use existing venues and tapping the use of private facilities such as the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and the Philippine Sports Stadium and Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, Bocaue.^[10]

Aside from Greater Manila, other events has been proposed to be held in other parts of the country. Peping Cojuangco of the Philippine Olympic Committee suggested Davao City and Davao del Norte as satellite venues for the games.^[19] Then Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda has also proposed some events to be held in his province following a successful hosting of the 2016 Palarong Pambansa.^[20]Philippine Sports Commissioner, Ramon Fernandez proposed events such as athletics, basketball, football, ice hockey, volleyball to be held in Cebu.

PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez is open to Cojuangco's suggestion to host the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Davao, but he said that Manila is a most logical choice to host the biennial sporting meet at the moment.^[21] Among the venues in the Davao region being eyed to use in the Southeast Asian Games are the sports facilities in the University of the Philippines Mindanao and the University of Mindanao campuses who are currently under construction, sports facilities in Tagum City used in the 2015 Palarong Pambansa,^[22] and the KJC King Dome, a multipurpose indoor arena owned by Kingdom of Jesus Christ executive pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

An ocular inspection team sent by the PSC went to Davao in July 2016, to inspect the ongoing construction of the possible sports venues in Davao City and Tagum City to be used for the SEA Games.^[23] In August 2016, PSC Chairman Butch Ramirez said that a 50-hectare Sports Olympic City inside Clark Development Zone in Pampanga would be constructed for the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019. This is in lieu with BCDA's plan to build the Clark Green City.^[24]

The Games

Sports

A minimum of 22 sports must be staged at the games. Not less than five sports has been proposed to be included in the games.

• Athletics
• Basketball
• Football
• Ice hockey
• Volleyball

Participating nations

All 11 members of Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) are expected to take part in the 2019 SEA Games. Below is a list of all the participating NOCs.

References