BARELY two months to go, the Philippines will play host to the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games for the fourth time. The upcoming 30th edition will officially open on November 30, 2019.
The Philippines was overall champion when it last hosted the SEA Games in 2005. The country also hosted it in 1981 and 1991.
But what is it for Dabawenyos when the games won't even be played in Davao City? The 530 events in 56 sports included in the biennial games will be held in clusters -- Clark, Subic, Metro Manila and other areas.
Well, for one, this will be the biggest sporting spectacle that the country will be hosting under President Rodrigo R. Duterte's administration. The former Davao City mayor himself wanted a successful hosting of the 11-country Games having sent his Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to an inter-agency meeting.
Medialdea was quoted saying, "We cannot afford to send President Duterte with anything less than perfect. The President puts his hope with us all. Expectations that may only be achieved if we work our hardest with utmost commitment and solid cooperation."
Dabawenyos, too, are frontrunners of the hosting including Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William "Butch" Ramirez who is also the Chef de Mission of Team Philippines, deputy Chef de Mission PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond A. Maxey and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go who heads the Senate Committee on Sports.
More Dabawenyos or former Davao City standouts (from other provinces whose careers started and blossomed here) are also competing in the 30th SEA Games and few of them will be seeing action for the first time.
Let's root for Mary Pauline Fornea (duathlon), Sonny Wagdos (men's 5,000-meter run), Maiquel Jawn Selga (wakeboard and waterski), siblings Sydney and Chino Tancontian (sambo), Jennilou Mosqueda (kurash), Jezebel Morcillo (arnis) and Carl Aseneta (judo), among others. The Tacay siblings, Rexor and Miyuki, have been members of the national karatedo team but the latter said no final roster was released yet for the 30th SEA Games.
Who knows more Dabawenyos will get to qualify in national teams of their respective sports and will also don the country's colors in the SEA Games. Then, we would have more reason to pray and cheer for Team Philippines.