BY JONAS TERRADO
THE Philippine Football Federation has made efforts to resolve issues that hounded the football competitions of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
PFF President Nonong Araneta said the federation was able to get 18 buses through the Ceres bus company while also assuring women’s national team coach Let Dimzon that food concerns are being addressed.
“There are well-meaning individuals and companies that are willing to help us and make this Southeast Asian Games successful,” Araneta said in the weekly PSA Forum at Amelie Hotel.
“We’re addressing all these things naman and we’re there not to criticize but to help,” added Araneta, whose federation is only in-charge of the technical management for the competition.
PHISGOC, the main organizer of the biennial meet, apologized over the weekend after defending champion Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Timor-Leste dealt with transportation and accommodation woes upon their arrival.
Photos of the Myanmar team taking a mini-bus and members of the Cambodian squad sleeping at the floor of a function room while waiting for their hotel rooms to be fixed made rounds on social media.
Dimzon also cried foul during the pre-match press conference for women’s football, saying that the teams were served with eggs and kikiam during breakfast.
Local and foreign reporters were later taken aback during Monday’s opener at the Rizal Memorial Stadium after the football press center was placed in an unfinished venue originally constructed for the squash events.
Football insiders pointed out that a rented air-conditioned tent would have been the most logistical idea instead of placing the press center in the unfinished building.
LEA WON’T SING
IN OPENING
Meantime, Lea Salonga will not perform in the opening ceremonies at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Salonga made the announcement through Twitter, saying commitments in her part in the musical Sweeney Todd will prevent her from taking part in the biennial meet.
“Leaving on a jet plane for Singapore tomorrow and will begin our 14-show Sweeney run on Thursday night,” Salonga said. “This means I will not be performing at the SEA Games opening ceremonies on Saturday. I won’t be back home til after Sweeney is done.”
The Broadway star sang the SEA Games’ official theme song titled “We Win as One” which was introduced last September.
It was expected that Salonga was to perform the song in front of packed audience at the cavernous indoor venue before making her announcement.
