Bacolod welcomes SEAG of the south

Nine days before the formal opening of the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Manila, official SEAG activities in Bacolod start today with thousands of Bacolodnons expected to fill the Panaad Center to welcome athletes and officials participating in the games in the Negros Occidental capital.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. is the guest of honor in the ceremonies starting at 5 p.m.

President Arroyo won’t be able to grace the rites since she’s attending the APEC meeting in Busan, Korea, but promised to come in the next few days to watch Filipino athletes in action in Bacolod.

Hostilities in Bacolod get underway tomorrow with Laos and Myanmar playing at 4 p.m. then Vietnam and Singapore squaring off at 6 p.m. in men’s football at the Bacolod City Sports Complex — formerly Paglaum.

The ceremonial kickoff will be among the highlights of today’s rites at the Panaad Center.

With team captains of the competing squads at the background, the POC chief, PSC chairman William "Butch" Ramirez, Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Maranon, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Bacolod Congressman Monico Puentevella do the honors of kicking the ceremonial ball.

Meanwhile, former RP track star Rogelia Ferrer, silver medalist in the 1958 Asian Games who’s a product of the Negros Occidental High School, will lead the torch run in the grand opening rites.

Former boxing standout Rey Jamili, another Bacolod sporting hero, is tasked to bring in the torch then hand it over to Ferrer who will pass it on to the delegates of 10 other competing nations.

"Rogelia Ferrer is now Mrs. Pell. She’s happy to come all the way from the United States to be part of the SEAG ceremonies," said Puentevella who is chairman of the Bacolod SEA Games Organizing Committee (Basoc).

The opening ceremonies will feature internationally-acclaimed Kabataang Silay Performing Arts and the Kaanyag Dance Company, the Masskara Dancers of Bacolod and the Pasalamat Drum Beaters of La Carlota City.

Puentevella stressed all these activities will push through rain or shine.

"It’s been raining here the last few days but rains won’t stop us from doing all these. Of course, we’ll be happy if we enjoy good weather during the ceremonies," said Puentevella.

Bacolod has attracted a large number of media people assigned to cover football which has always been a top attraction in SEAG.

Weightlifting has also got the attention of the media following medal conquests of the Thai and Indon women lifters in the Athens Olympics.

Twenty-nine gold medals are to be disputed in Bacolod with 14 at stake in boxing, 10 in weightlifting, two each in indoor volley and beach volley and one in football.