PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino yesterday said the SEA Games Federation Council, during its meeting yesterday, unanimously agreed to heed the request of Vietnam to postpone the 31st SEA Games to sometime next year.
“Due to the spike of COVID-19 cases all over the Southeast Asian region, the SEAG Federation Council decided to accept Vietnam’s request to reset the SEA Games to next year,” Tolentino said, adding the Vietnamese were given another 10 days to decide and announce the new date of the meet.
Vietnam was supposed to host the Games consisting of 40 sports disciplines from Nov. 21 to Dec. 2 in Hanoi but requested that it be rescheduled to next year due to the escalating cases of the deadly virus in the Vietnamese capital and neighboring areas where the events will be conducted.
“At least, we will remain the defending overall champions for another year,” the POC chief said, looking at the bright side of things.
He also announced that pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe will be the country’s flag-bearers for the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 23 at the Japan National Stadium.
“Although all of our 19 athletes are qualified to carry the flag, because of their respective schedule, it was decided that EJ Obiena and Watanabe were chosen as our standard bearers during the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremonies,” Tolentino said, adding both athletes have been informed of their new roles.
He noted that Obiena, whose event will begin with the qualifiers on July 31, will be in the Japanese capital before the July 23 opening while Watanabe has been training intensively in Tokyo and will compete in the women’s 63-kilogram division on July 28.
Aside from the two Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, also attending the inaugural rites of the COVID-delayed games are chief of mission Mariano Araneta Jr., swimming chief Lani Velasco, gymnastics head Cynthia Carrion, judo honcho Dave Carter, skateboarding coach Dani Bautista and boxing mentor Nolito Velasco.
“These are our eight representatives for the Tokyo Olympic inaugural rites. The health and safety protocols are so strict that even I will not be able to attend it,” Tolentino said.
PSC Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who also joined the virtual meeting, said the PSC board led by Chairman Butch Ramirez will discuss the SEA Games issue next week.
