Atienza: Decide early on SEAG hub

Arnold "Ali" Atienza, chairman of the Manila Sports Council, has suggested to the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee to decide as soon as possible which city or province will serve as main hub of the biennial games the country is hosting in 2005.

Atienza said an early decision on the issue would give the winning bidder ample time to prepare for the hosting of the event which is expected to draw close to 10,000 athletes and officials from the 10 competing countries.

Atienza said he has written the Philsoc regarding his suggestion but has yet to receive final word on which among the bidders — Manila, Bacolod, Pampanga, Cebu, Iloilo, Naga and Lanao del Norte — will get the official blessing.

"If they don’t decide soon, the city or province that will eventually win the bidding will be in a tight fix due to lack of time," said Atienza, son of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza and a former member of the RP taekwondo team.

"Maiipit talaga. There are a lot of considerations like how to raise additional funds given the lack of funding from the government. The marketing aspect alone will eat up a lot of time and it will be very difficult to do this with little time," he added.

Manila, as it is, enjoys a slight edge over the rest of the bidders considering the presence of existing sports venues and facilities, hotels and restaurants. Manila being located near the international airport is also serving the city in good stead.

Transportation and communication neither pose any problem in case Manila is tapped as main hub and the provinces like Bacolod, Pampanga or Cebu as remote hubs that can host spectator sports like boxing, soccer or swimming.

"Pero kung aabutin pang December ang decision, it might be too late," said Atienza.

The Philsoc deciding soon will also help them catch up with its nine-point program regarding the hosting of the event that last held in the country 12 years ago.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit recently said building a new main stadium is already out of the question, meaning the city or province with existing facilities now enjoys the inside track.

Also in the nine-point program are the issuance of guidelines for site selections; the preparing of a games logo and mascot; the need to prepare a master plan regarding the budget; the setting up of a marketing campaign; the preparation for the turnover rights after this year’s Vietnam SEAG; the setting up of a performance target for the national athletes; the purchasing of equipment; and the launching of an awareness campaign on the country’s hosting.