MANILA, Philippines – No extravagant turnover will be taking place come the closing ceremonies of the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur as the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) called off the costly cultural presentation that would usher in the Philippines as new hosts in 2019.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 30, the POC justified its decision to pull out the performance, which was reported to have cost up to P8.1 million.
The committee will instead opt for a simple turnover of the biennial meet, per POC president Jose Cojuangco.
“It will not take five minutes for the turn over because the program prepared by Malaysia is highlighted by the celebration of the Independence Day of the host country and as overall champion of the Games, ” he explained.
The country, Cojuangco feels, should save up for the 2019 hosting of the Games instead.
The statement also showed his appeal to Filipinos to continue the support and pride for all the athletes who represented the country, whether the delegates have reached the medal goal or not.
“All of us, including the critics, should rally behind the 2019 Philippine hosting and support our athletes in any way we can,” Cojuangco added.
Prior to the games, the Philippine delegation set a target for 50 gold medals.
After the two-week competition, the country was held down to its worst finish in 18 years – bringing home a haul of 24 golds, 33 silvers, and 64 bronzes. – Rappler.com
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