By Jerome Lagunzad
A gracious host yet a fierce competitor at the same time.
That’s the strong challenge issued by Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Ricky Vargas to Filipino athletes who will be selected to don the country’s tri-colors in the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
After a two-day meeting with members of the SEAG Federation Council, Vargas, 66, admitted that the Philippines is determined to pull out all the stops for its fourth hosting of the regional biennial meet set from Nov. 30 to Dec. 10, 2019.
But the Nationals will still have to make sure that they’re in top condition and ready to go all out against familiar counterparts among 10 other countries as they vie for the overall championship which they last won back in the 2005 edition in Manila.
During the 29th SEAG hosted by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Philippines, represented by close to 500 athletes, only had a meager haul of 23 gold, 33 silver, and 64 bronze medals and finished just sixth overall, the country’s worst finish in the last 18 years.
Vargas is hoping that the Nationals, buoyed by the usual boisterous hometown crowd and aided by several local and overseas training and exposure, could make up for lost ground since fast-rising Singapore remains hot on their heels in the all time medal table, with the fourth-running Philippines ahead by just 24 golds.
“In the previous press con(ference), we said we would like to improve our standing from number six to at least in the top three. If we can get the overall championship, we will of course try to do so,” said Vargas during the press briefing last Thursday.
“Of course, the goal is to show our best foot forward as hospitable hosts. We, Filipinos, are good at singing and dancing. I’m probably the one percent that does not know how to sing,” he said in jest. “But we will show them what the Filipino talent is all about.”
To achieve such, Vargas added that the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee will need to train “12,000 to 15,000 volunteers, mostly in the Central Luzon and Clark area,” who could provide them immense help.
Meanwhile, Vargas’ Indonesian counterpart, businessman and sportsman Erick Thohir, expressed confidence that the Philippines, based on its preparations for the SEA Games, has what it takes to host larger scales sporting meets, including the Asian Games, in the near future.
“Personally, as partners of the Philippine and also now that Indonesia is hosting the Asian Games (this year), I’m really sure that the next stop for the Philippines is hosting the 2030 Asian Games,” said the current chairman of the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee.
