SPORTS jointly organized and promoted throughout the Southeast Asian region will be the thrust of the ASEAN Goodwill Games.
Sports officials from the province of Guang Xi in China said this after they entered into an agreement with Filipino and Chinese promoters on Christmas Eve.
“We hope we can exchange and communicate more on physical education and sports development,” said Xie Qiang, director of the Guang Xi Sports Bureau.
Xie met with Philippine representative, businessman and former three-term Representative of the 1st District of Leyte Martin Romualdez, along with a delegation from Guang Xi Province.
The Guang Xi Sports Bureau, through Xie, has assigned Chinese promotion company Mitime Sports, and signed a cooperation agreement with Filipino promoters through Manny Cabili of Row One Sports in a simple signing ceremony at the Manila Golf Club.
Initially, there are plans to promote boxing events. Eventually, they will also venture into car racing and marathons.
The agreement with Filipino promoters was made possible with the assistance of Romualdez.
Last May, Mitime Sports was involved with the live broadcast of the Indianapolis 500 in Chinese. Partnership with car racing officials in the United States gave Chinese fans access to the live TV coverage of the sport.
Xie said through an interpreter that this will be the 11th year of the Chinese touring assembly and with their presence for the first time in the Philippines, they hope to be involved in many world championship events.
“We are very excited because we feel that through sports and athletics, the relationship between the Philippines and China will be stronger,” said Romualdez.
Cabili said the promotion of events in the country and in the SEA region is still in the planning stages. Also in the pipeline, according to Cabili, are events in triathlon, yachting, sailing, kite boarding, surfing, sky diving, aero sports, motorsports and wind surfing.