Performers from Vietnam participate in the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games in 2019. —AFP FILE PHOTO
Samahang Weightlifting sa Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella said he’s confident Vietnam will push through with the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) if only to wrest the overall title from the Philippines.
As a former member of the SEAG Federation, Puentevella said Vietnam will take the chance hosting the event, where it has calendared “only 40 sports and [to have] the best chance of emerging as champions once again.”
“Vietnam will win this one again with only 40 [sports] believe me,” said Puentevella, who personally felt the Games should push through despite ongoing worldwide surge in coronavirus cases.
“It is easier and more practical for Vietnam [to stage it now] because they only have 40 sports compared to our 55 sports [during the 2019 edition],” said Puentevella.
Vietnam last hosted the biennial meet in 2003 in Ho Chi Minh where it crowned itself the overall champion, which began its becoming a major sporting power in the region.
“It’s still five months away so there’s still enough time,” he said. “Scrapping the games may not be the right decision. Maybe postpone it a little bit.”
He said that Japan managed to pull off the hosting of the 2020 Olympics last year despite the Delta variant surge “and [with] the whole world participating.”
The country is hoping to score four gold medals in weightlifting in the SEA Games slated May 12 to 23 in Hanoi and 11 other cities in Vietnam.
Reports have it that Vietnam is seriously considering scrapping the games after the region encountered another wave of COVID-19 infections.