10-day Manila SEAG slated

By Nick Giongco

The country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games will be officially from Nov. 30 until Dec. 9, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) said yesterday.

The opening rites won’t be staged in Metro Manila but most likely at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, said POC spokesperson Ed Picson, who attended a crucial meeting involving the new leadership of the POC, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Wednesday night.

Tagaytay congressman and POC chairman Bambol Tolentino was tabbed by Vargas to handle the selection of sports and events that will be played.

Also present during the meeting and told to make a presentation was Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara, who will serve as Executive Director of the organizing committee.

“The presentation was very detailed,” said Picson, who was joined by secretary-general Patrick Gregorio, deputy sec-gen Karen Caballero, organizing committee deputy Monica Mitra, Special Events head Jen Reyes and Planning head Kyle Principe.

Meanwhile, Richard Gomez’s appointment as chief of mission for the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia was formalized also and the POC also appointed Manny Cabili and Robert Bachmann of squash as his deputies.