
Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine Government hasannounced on August 17 that it would host the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in2019, one month after pulling out citing the increasing cost of the fightagainst Islamist gunmen in the southern Marawi city.
Jose Cojuangco, President of the Philippine OlympicCommittee has written a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte, appealing that the30th SEA Games should proceed as scheduled.
The Philippine presidential palace has decided toreconsider the earlier decision of not hosting the regional sport event after ameeting with some senior Government officials, including Foreign Secretary AlanPeter Cayetano and Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission WilliamRamirez.
[Philippines withdraws from hosting 2019 SEA Games]
Philippine authorities said the country willofficially notify the SEA Games Federation on August 18 of its commitments tohost the biennial sport event in 2019.
In July, the Philippine Government announced to pullout of hosting the SEA Games to focus on re-building Marawi city, which hasbeen ravaged by clashes lasting more than two months between the Government’sforces and Islamist gunmen.
It accepted to become the host of the SEA Games 30 in2015, after the post was begged off by Vietnam and Brunei.-VNA