VIETNAM will decide next week whether to push through with the 31st Southeast Asian Games in November or postpone the regional Games to next year.
Eight of the 11 SEA Games Federation members—Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste—voted against the postponement during a virtual meeting on Wednesday. The host and Myanmar, which is experiencing a political turmoil, opted for postponement, while Laos abstained.
“The final decision will be known next week,” Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said. “But it’s still the government of Vietnam that has the final decision.”
Vietnam cited the rising Covid-19 cases as the reason for the postponement of the Games set from November 21 to December 2 featuring 40 sports.
“The hosts are also reluctant to postpone the Games because all their structures and venues are already complete. But the pandemic has raised the alarm,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino said he voted against the postponement for the main reason that Filipino athletes already focused for the Games and a P200 million budget has been allocated for the training and participation of Team Philippines.
“It’s unfair to the athletes who have already sacrificed their time and effort in training for the SEA Games,” Tolentino said. “Athletes are also preparing for the Asian Games, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and Winter Olympics next year. So it’s very difficult for the SEA Games to be postponed.”
The Asian Games are set from September 10 to 25 in Hangzhou, China, while the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games are scheduled March 10 to 20 in Bangkok and Chonburi in Thailand. Beijing is hosting the Winter Olympics from February 4 to 20.
Team Philippines chef de mission Ramon Fernandez, also a Philippine Sports Commission commissioner, said he would respect whatever decision Vietnam makes.
“It’s okay with me and the PSC on whatever decision the host makes. If it’s going to be postponed, that will give us a longer time to prepare our athletes,” Fernandez said. “All our athletes will be vaccinated by then.”
The POC intends to send 626 athletes (entry by numbers) who will be competing in 39 of the 40 sports in the biennial event.
A Straits Times report earlier said Vietnam has been relatively successful in dealing with the virus last year, but is battling its worst outbreak with more than 5,600 cases being reported in 39 out of 63 provinces and cities since late April. Major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have put social-distancing measures in place.
Various media outlets in the region have also reported that the SEA Games are at risk of not taking place as scheduled.
The same report said news website Vietnam Net reported that the Vietnamese government ordered its Sports Ministry to submit a plan based on the challenges posed by the pandemic, before a decision on whether the event could be held would be taken.
The SEA Games traditionally gathers more than 10,000 athletes and officials and some 2,000 member of the media.
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