Areas within the Subic Bay Metropolitan Freeport are being readied to host a total of 17 events in the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games which the Philippines will host from Nov. 30 until Dec. 11.
The Philippine Olympic Committee, which sent a 4-man delegation to Bangkok over the weekend, informed member nations of this development.
The delegation, composed of POC president Ricky Vargas, Chairman Abraham Tolentino, Secretary-General Patrick Gregorio and Communications Director Ed Picson, were informed by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority that rehabilitation of existing facilities will be done in the first week of March.
The panel flew to Bangkok last Saturday to attend a one-day Olympic Council of Asia Congress at the Intercontinental Hotel.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority officials informed the POC that the centerpiece of Subic’s infrastructure development project for the 2019 SEA Games will be the Remy Field, a six-lane track that will be turned into a nine-lane oval, complemented by three practice lanes, as well as shower rooms, dressing rooms and a new, bigger grandstand.
Picson said that among the topics discussed in the Congress Sunday were amendments to the OCA Constitution, reports of the various Vice Presidents of the five Asian regions of East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and West Asia.
Extensive reports were also made by representatives of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Committee, 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Committee, the Association of National Olympic Committees, World Anti Doping Association, as well as several OCA Standing Committees such as Athletes’ Commission, Culture, Education, Ethics, Finance, Media, Medical, Rules, Sports, etc.
The Philippine delegation also took the opportunity to meet with several Asian National Olympic Committees and to discuss with South East Asian delegates issues pertaining to the Philippine hosting of the SEA Games.
Vargas, who is also president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, also had a brief chance meeting with International Boxing Association President Gofur Rakhimov of Uzbekistan.
The whole-day affair was attended by over 500 delegates from 45 countries. The Philippine delegation returns to Manila the following day.
