BY NICK GIONGCO
WHEN the cauldron is set ablaze on Saturday night at the New Clark City (NCC) in Tarlac, Manny Pacquiao would probably be sitting comfortably on a couch in General Santos City, marveling at his handiwork that signaled the formal opening of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) is teasing the public with an opening program never before seen in the previous editions of the biennial SEAG.
The main show takes place at the Philippine Arena in Santa Maria, Bulacan, where an electrifying performance by the country’s top entertainers and beauty titleholders takes the spotlight.
But the highlight of the opening rites, just like in any other multi-sport event, will be the lighting of the flame, one that Pacquiao had already done almost a week ago during a ‘dry run’ at the NCC.
The NCC is located in the historic town of Capas, where 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino and American soldiers were unloaded from boxed cars in the infamous Bataan Death March during World War II.
A spanking-new track stadium that can accommodate 20,000 and a 2,500-seater Aquatics Center as well as an Athletes Village, a first in the country, were built in a record 18 months by the Bases Conversion Development Authority for the 2019 SEAG and beyond.
Before lighting the cauldron, Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division champion, was toured around the venues and met with athletes not only from the host country but from other SEAG nations.
Welcoming him was BCDA president Vince Dizon, who rolled out the carpet for the reigning World Boxing Association welterweight champion.
Participating in a multi-sport event like the SEAG is nothing new for the 40-year-old boxing icon.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Pacquiao, who is targeting a ring return in March or April of 2020, carried the Philippine flag.
There was a plan for Pacquiao to head back to the NCC so he could do the lighting all over again but he flew back to General Santos City on Wednesday.
The Phisgoc said it was no longer necessary to reenact the lighting as Pacquiao had pulled it off in style.
Besides, a typhoon is on its way to the Luzon mainland and is expected to drench large portions of Central Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Luzon in the coming days.
The SEAG has started with preliminaries in several sports like water polo, netball, floorball, football and polo.
But the medal matches will only begin on Dec. 1 with hostilities also kicking off in Metro Manila, where the marquee sports are going to be played.
The 2019 SEAG, the biggest in history, will feature 56 sports and 530 gold medals up for grabs.
The Philippines is bidding to win as much as 250 gold medals to ensure itself of the overall crown but Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and surging Vietnam, which has never dropped from the top three since it hosted the SEAG in 2003, are out to threaten the host.
