PH gets deadline to decide on SEAG 2019

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The Philippines has until Aug. 16 to finally give up the doomed hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Top Philippine Olympic Committee officials are in a quandary on whether to finally tell the SEA Games Federation that the country can no longer stage the biennial games or make “one last-ditch effort” to appeal to President Duterte.

Sources said National Olympic Committees of Thailand and Indonesia have asked the POC when it would formally drop the hosting so they can ask their respective governments of their plan to take charge.

“In essence we have to tell them (SEA Games Federation) before the Aug. 17 meeting in Kuala Lumpur,” said the source. “They have to know it so they can fix the calendar.”

The closing ceremony of the KL Games won’t be complete without the passing of hosting rights, which is a tradition in multi-event competitions like the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

In a separate report, Thailand has expressed willingness to host the 2019 Games, offering its vast facilities scattered in venues outside Bangkok.

However, several officials inside the POC are still trying to arrange a meeting with the Chief Executive through Philippine Sports Commission chair Butch Ramirez.

A meeting with Ramirez, POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., and Mr. Duterte fell through last month.

Immediately after that, Ramirez said the government would no longer push through with the hosting to channel funds to rebuilding the war-torn Marawi City.