NEW Clark City—As lavish and lively as the opening ceremony, the curtain will be lowered for the 30th Southeast Asian Games with another affair that comes nothing short of another world-class act on Wednesday at the New Clark City.
With the overall championship already in the bag for the host nation, thousands are expected for the closing ceremony at the Athletics Stadium that will honor the heroes of the biennial games that the country has hosted for the fourth time and dominated with a flourish for the second time.
It will be an appreciation for the people who worked on the rigorous task of holding 530 events in 56 sports and the logistical nightmare of accommodating close to 10,000 athletes, coaches and sports officials in four different clusters.
More important, it will be a toast for the national athletes who hurdled all adversities to give joy and pride to the host nation, all summed up for the country’s best finish since the first staging in 1977.
“Closing ceremony is a celebration for all of us, the athletes, the delegation, the volunteers, the work force,” Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee COO Ramon Suzara said. “Despite all the obstacles, challenges, we made it through.”
Like the grand opening ceremony at the Philippine Arena, the organizers will be presenting Filipino brand of music starting off with Arnel Pineda singing the national anthem.
The usual parade of athletes at the sprawling track of the Athletics Stadium will be one of the highlights, with surfer turned hero Roger Casugay serving as the flag-bearer for the country.
Black Eyed Peas member apl.de.ap, or Allan Pineda Lindo of Angeles City, Pampanga, will serve as the main performer who will usher the symbolic transfer of the hosting rights to Hanoi, Vietnam.
The flame at the P55-million cauldron will also be extinguished as the Southeast Asian Games Federation Flag will be handed to the 2021 host, while fireworks will light up the sky above the new facility of the Bases Conversion Development Authority.
Earlier, Malacañang ordered the distribution of 10,000 free tickets to spectators. The New Clark City complex has been in lockdown mode since Monday as preparation are under way.
Image credits: www.build.gov.ph