Malacañang has lauded Filipino athletes for bagging early medals in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, saying their hard work in training is paying off.
As the Palace praised the athletes’ strong start, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said also they wish good luck to the rest of the athletes in their competition in the coming days.
“The Palace is closely monitoring the performance of our athletes in the 30th Southeast Asian Games and is pleased to know that their hard work in training is paying off,” he said.
“We congratulate our athletes who have won and brought honor to the country in this ongoing biennial multi-sport event,” he said. “We wish the rest of our athletes who will be competing on the coming days the best of luck,” Panelo said.
The country’s early gold haul came following the widely praised opening ceremony of the games over the weekend.
The biennial games opened with an impressive spectacle of Filipino culture, music, and dance at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last Saturday.
Malacañang earlier hailed the country’s “spectacular” opening ceremony of the SEAG, saying it should set the tone for the handling of the tournament.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the ceremony showcased the country’s ability to host the biggest sporting events in the world and entertain foreign guests “with the kind of merriment that we Filipinos excel and are famous for.”
It also set the bar high for prospective hosts of international sporting events, Panelo said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
