The time has come once again for the best and the greatest athletes from every city of the Southeast Asian region to gather and compete for the coveted gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games. This showcase and showdown of talent of Asian athletes is a biennial multi-sport event. Though not as huge as the international sports events like the Olympics, the SEA Games is proven to be a stepping stone for any athlete who dreams to make it big in their respective field of sports and become a superstar.
The 2019 SEA Games has already chosen its host country, a long time before the actual event will take place, and that is none other than the Philippines. The promise this year is to give the sports enthusiasts a worthwhile experience in watching different sports games with new infrastructures. The participants are also promised to enjoy their stay in the region and have nothing else to focus on but to win their games. Unfortunately, just like any other sporting event, this year’s SEA Games is plagued with controversies, from questionable pricing of buildings to athlete-representatives claiming to receive no financial help from their own countries.
An Overpriced Cauldron For The Torching Ceremony: Should It Be Really Worth Millions?
Days before the highly anticipated series of games commence at the heart of the Philippines, the attention of the international media was caught by the interesting budget allocated by the host country for the torching ceremony. It is argued that this year’s hosting of the county is the most expensive ever, and even without adding up all the expenses on different infrastructures and sports equipment, the cost of the symbolic torching ceremony alone is enough as proof. For one, the cost of the cauldron, where the fire signalling the start of the sporting event is to be lit, is a staggering 50 million Philippine Pesos, or equivalent to almost USD $ 1 million.
Thus, people couldn’t help but speculate that the funding for the 30th SEA Games is shrouded in practices of corruption. Even in a seemingly all-fun-and-games event, cases of corruption are still reported in sports, which is unfortunate since the athletes who should be benefiting from the allocated funds are the ones suffering. In the history of SEA Games, it is not only the Philippines who has been reported with corruption allegations in the preparation for the regional sporting event. The 2011 SEA Games, hosted by Indonesia, also had issues in the preparation phase, as well as in the implementation of the rules of the games.
Athletes Cry Out For Support As They Target Gold Medal In 30th SEA Games
With these corruption allegations circulating the news, some athletes couldn’t help but feel bad as many of them are struggling financially to continue with their training, and yet the country that they are representing fails to give them the support that they rightfully deserve as the ones bringing honor and recognition. A representative of the Philippines in Women’s Weightlifting Division, Hidilyn Diaz, has been vocal about the lack of financial support from the government, claiming that she used her own resources just to make sure that she will be able to bring home a gold medal in the upcoming SEA Games.
Truly, there is a big benefit to us, especially the adolescents, if we involve ourselves in sports and activities. This is why we should try tuning in to important sporting events like the SEA Games to gain more knowledge and enthuse ourselves to trying these sports. To start, check out https://www.archerypower.com/and be more attentive and stronger than ever.