Tennis back in SEA Games

Tennis will be played in the Myanmar Southeast Asian Games in December, after all.

Philippine Tennis Association secretary general Romeo Magat said the sport will be reinstated in the SEA Games calendar after the Philippines and nine other countries made an appeal to Myanmar organizers through “diplomatic” channels.

Magat said he was informed by Indonesian tennis chief Wibowo Suseno Wirjawan on the development after Wirjawan met with Myanmar ministry of sports officials and ambassadors along with representatives from Thailand and the Asian Tennis Federation.

Magat added that they are just waiting for the final announcement by the Myanmar organizers but expressed confidence that tennis, a gold-medal prospect for the Philippines in the biennial games, would be included in the lineup of events.

“We’re just awaiting the final decision of the higher-ups,” he said. “Judging from the statements of those who were present during the meeting in Myanmar, this is already a done deal.”