THE country's training preparations for the upcoming 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games set on May 12 to 23 in Hanoi, Vietnam is beginning to heat up as alert levels and Covid-19 cases have decreased in the National Capital Region and other parts of the country.
With barely three months to go before the biennial games commences, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum (RMC) and Ninoy Aquino Stadium (NAS) inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, which were used as quarantine and Covid-19 testing areas since April 2020, will reportedly be turned over this week for the use of the SEA Games-bound national athletes.
The country's two landmark sports facilities, according to SEA Games chef-de-mission Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, will be extra two venues where the national athletes can train and for the national sports agency to save funds for the rental of training venues.
Most participating national sports associations (NSAs) have started their bubble-type training set-up since late last year, but with the easing of Covid-19 protocol restrictions, athletes' training is expected to go full blast.
Aside from the NAS and the RMSC, the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City has also been used as a Covid-19 facility and it might also be returned to the PSC management soon.
The national boxing team has been training at the Teacher’s Camp while the national athletics team has also been in bubble-type training at Baguio Athletic Bowl. Both teams are currently in Baguio City along with the national karatedo team.
However, the sprinters and jumpers moved to the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite from Baguio City just last month. Veteran coach Jojo Posadas, in a report, said the cold weather in Baguio will not be favorable for the sprinters and jumpers thus the need for them to transfer location.
The fencers are in Ormoc City while the rowers are in Leyte, and the sepak takraw athletes are in Bulacan.
Other national athletes have been training on their own in the provinces.
The National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) has conducted a qualifying tournament to form the national team while the Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines has released the roster of its eight-member squad for the SEA Games, top-billed by world champions Carlo Biado and Rubilen Amit.
While there is excitement as SEA Games preparations shift to high gear, Dabawenyo PSC national training director Marc Velasco underscored that there is still the risk of Covid-19 infection despite the low alert levels and the downtrend of Covid-19 cases.
Coaches and athletes should not lower their guards and keep on strictly observing the minimum public health standards (MPHS) as PSC's top brass makes the necessary preparations to secure and ensure the health and safety of the national teams in government-managed facilities.
With the challenging training preparations amid the pandemic, it would be an uphill battle to defend the country's overall 2019 SEA Games title in Vietnam. But that remains to be seen. Filipinos may yet again pull off surprises just like in the Tokyo Olympics.