New Manila Games venues to go thru test events

MANILA, Philippines — Once completed, the athletics stadium and aquatics center at the New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac will be subjected to test events before the 30th SEA Games opens in November next year.

Construction of the modern metropolis 100 kilometers north of Manila has begun. The Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) said sports venues are being prioritized.

“Based on their presentation, they should be finished in July next year,” said PHISGOC executive director Ramon Suzara.

“Then in August and September we recommend test events for the sports to be played in Clark,” added Suzara, a key member of PHISGOC, which is headed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

Aside from athletics and aquatic events, team sports like baseball and softball will also be played in Clark.

The test events, according to Suzara, will not only include the sports facilities but everything else that has anything to do with the staging of the Games.

“The test events are not only for sports but the simulation of all departments, including the Athletes Village, the catering, transportation, all the different things,” he said.

Even the Main Press Center (MPC) at the New Clark City will have to undergo a serious dry-run as it hopes to cater to the needs of the mediamen that will cover the 11-nation event.

Thailand alone is expected to fly in 150 mediamen, from broadcast to print, to the SEA Games scheduled Nov. 30 to Dec. 10.

“By November, we will open the Athletes Village or 10 days before the opening ceremony,” said Suzara.

The New Clark City will be the main hub of next year’s SEA Games while other sports will be scattered around Metro Manila and Subic.

All these sports venues, which may undergo some refurbishment, will have to undergo tests to ensure their readiness to host the SEA Games.

“We have a lot of venues in Metro Manila, like the Mall of Asia Arena, the Smart Araneta Coliseum and SMEX, and the PICC or even the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex,” said Suzara.

Popular sports like basketball, women’s volleyball, boxing, billiards and gymnastics will be played in Metro Manila, while Subic will host events like triathlon, duathlon, sailing and windsurfing.

So far, there are 30 sports that have been approved by the SEA Games Federation, with some more being considered before the June 30 deadline.

“The plans are set. We just have to execute,” said Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas.