THE 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games is still in the works but the country may be headed toward a more gargantuan task of hosting the 2030 edition of the Asian Games.
In the news conference capping the two-day Southeast Asian Games Federation Council Meeting on Thursday, Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee Chairman Erick Thohir vowed to lobby the country as a candidate host for the 2030 continental games.
Thohir was amazed with the hospitality of Filipinos, who hosted more than 80 sports leaders from the region in the council meeting, prompting him to make a bold statement that the Philippines may be inching toward the Asian Games.
“The Philippines wants to host the biggest-ever SEA Games. The next step for them is to host the 2030 Asian Games. This is the beginning,” Thohir said.
The Philippines hosted the Asian Games only once, in 1954 during the quadrennial event’s second edition. Indonesia, meanwhile, will host the 19th edition of the games in August.
“This is business, about national branding and infrastructure. I will lobby the hosting of the Philippines,” he added.
A solid indication for a possible Asian Games in the Philippines, according to Thohir, is the Clark Green City in Tarlac, which will be the main hub of the 30th Sea Games the country is hosting from November 30 to December 10 in 2019.
The 200-hectare development will have a world-class sports complex with an aquatics and athletic center. Construction is expected to be finished in July 2019.
Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas welcomed Thohir’s suggestion, but stressed the effort should come from each and every Filipino.
“If Filipinos put their hearts into it, we can do this and on a larger scale. It would take a lot of people to do this,” Vargas said.
Image credits: Alysa Salen