LOOK: PH receives SEA Games flame from Malaysia

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines formally received the Southeast Asian Games flame from 2017 host Malaysia in a handover ceremony that kicks off the country’s hosting preparations into high gear. (2019 SEA Games: Where to buy tickets as low as P50)

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) board member Cynthia Carrion accepted the flame from Malaysia Olympic Committee president Norza Zakaria on Thursday, October 3, in a ceremonial lighting of the lantern set at the renowned Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

WATCH: Officials lights up the SEA Games flame for the handover ceremony. #2019SEAGames

Video from @psc_gov pic.twitter.com/VNknxhXP4G

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) October 3, 2019

Rimau the Tiger, the 2017 SEA Games mascot, met 2019 SEA Games mascot Pami, short for pamilya (family), as they brought the SEA Games torch to the stage together. 

WATCH: 2017 SEA Games mascot Rimau and #2019SEAGames mascot Pami bring the official games torch to the stage.

Video from @psc_gov pic.twitter.com/Q2QB2a1Njs

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) October 3, 2019

There to witness the ceremony were Nikko Huelgas, president of the Philippine Athletes Commission, Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee chief operating officer Ramon Suzara, Philippine Sports Commission’s commissioner Dr Celia Kiram and Malaysian sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

“As we receive the flame from Malaysia, we also receive the responsibilities that comes with hosting the flame in our country,” said Kiram.

From Kuala Lumpur, the lantern carrying the flame will be brought to the Philippines, kicking off the torch run activities to be held in various parts of the country, namely in Davao City, Cebu City and Clark. (LOOK: 2019 SEA Games schedule, venues)

It will also be presented to the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Malacañang Palace.

“Malaysia hosted one of the best SEA Games editions, and we will do our best and try to be at par with them in hosting these Games,” added Kiram.

Filipino boxer Ian Clark Bautista and taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez also joined the Philippine delegation together with Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan of Capas, Tarlac, the location of New Clark City, the Games’ main hub.

Eleven nations – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam, and the Philippines – will see action on November 30 to December 11 in the regional biennial meet’s 56 sports spread out over 4 main venue clusters in Clark, Subic, Manila and Tagaytay. – Rappler.com