Philippine Arena chosen for 2019 SEA Games opening

There’s no stopping the Philippines from producing the brightest opening ceremony the Southeast Asian Games have ever seen.

With the country housing the biggest indoor arena in the world, the organizing committee for the 2019 SEA Games had no doubts in choosing the Philippine Arena for the opening ceremonies of the biennial sporting spectacle.

Ramon “Tats” Suzara, planning and coordination executive director of the SEA Games federation, said Thursday that the Philippine Arena will be used to formally open the games, which will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 30 in 2019.

“The plan is the ceremonies will be held at Philippine Arena where we are going to host 55,000 people and we’re going to the digital level,” said Suzara. “You could just imagine the digital lighting of the flame.”

“We are doing this in the Asian Games level, we’re not doing a SEA Games level of organizing the events we are doing it in the Asian Games level.”

Suzara, though, said that there is still a Plan B for the opening and that would feature the traditional parade and torch lighting that have been typical presentations in the previous Games.

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Going with a bold ensemble, the Philippines will use three cities as hosts for the 2019 Games: Clark Green City, Subic, and Manila.

Clark will be the main sporting hub in 2019 with athletics and swimming set to be played there. Subic, meanwhile, will play host to sports like triathlon, duathlon, sailing, and windsurfing.

Basketball, volleyball, boxing, and gymnastics will be played in Manila.