Harlyn Serneche of volleyball and boxer Leo Mhar Lobrido carried the Philippine flag during the lavish opening rites at the Exhibition World Bahrain on Wednesday night.
Bahrain came up with a captivating multimedia stage production, with superb performances by the local artists and mesmerizing lighting effects as they welcomed the representatives of the 45 nations.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino commended Bahrain for the excellent hosting so far, from facilities to logistics, especially since it accepted the hosting rights only in December last year.
“Ang galing ng Bahrain. Magaling ang Bahrain despite short preparation (Bahrain did an excellent job. They did great despite the short preparation time),” Tolentino said.
Uzbekistan pulled out because the infrastructure, especially the Olympic Village and related facilities, would not be completed in time. Uzbek officials asked for a one-year postponement, but the Olympic Council of Asia declined because the AYG serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal.
“Dapat ito Uzbek. Uzbek ito dapat, hindi natapos yung facilities, so savior yung Bahrain (This was supposed to be in Uzbekistan. It should’ve been Uzbekistan, but the facilities weren’t finished, so Bahrain became the savior),” the POC chief said. PR