Tolentino defends ‘extravagant and strange’ P55-M SEA Games cauldron
Credit to Author: Eddie G. Alinea| Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2019 17:06:24 +0000
“The controversial 2019 Southeast Asian Games cauldron will, once again showcase the Filipinos’ unity in one single undertaking to attain success.”
Thus, declared Philippine Olympic Committee president, Cavite Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino as he justified the P55 million allocated for the construction of the alleged “extravagant and strange” structure built inside of the spanking New Clark City Stadium.
“It, once more, symbolizes the Filipinos’ resiliency in surviving the uncertainties brought by economic restrictions due to natural and man-made calamities that hit the nation the past few years,” Tolentino, also the president of the SEA Games Federation, said in an interview before the taping of the Scoop Forum on Friday at The Manila Times TV Studio.
“The cauldron also serves as an immeasurable inspiration and motivation to or athletes to perform to the best of their abilities in competing against their counterparts from the other 10 countries in new sports facilities they only experience seeing action in foreign lands,” Tolentino said.
“Sa loob ng nakalipas na 85-taon since the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex was built in 1934 to serve as venue for the 10th and last edition of the Far Eastern Games (FEG), acknowledged as precursor of the now Asian Games, our athletes and our entire nation have been craving for a more complete and international standard facility,” he recalled.
Tolentino was, too, referring to the initial staging of the FEG held in Manila where the Philippines as overall champion and its subsequent Filipino athletes’ victorious march to the general title in 1919, 1921 and 1925.
“Salamat sa pagdiriwang natin ng 30th edition ng SEA Games na gaganapin mismo dito sa ating dalampasigan at matutupad na natin ang matagal nang pangarap na ito,” the Cavite lawmaker, who also heads the local cycling federation stressed.
The 30th SEA Games cauldron, he emphasized, is also dedicated to the memory of the country’s first and only hosting to date of the the 1954 Asian Games and the 1981, 1991 and 2005 SEA Games, the last when the country, likewise emerged as overall winner.
“Kung makikita lamang ng mga kritiko ang tuwa at pagmamalaki ng ating mga atleta habang nagsasanay sa bagong stadium at nakikita ang itinatayong cauldron, marahil ay mabubura na ang kanilang maling paniniwala kung bakit naging magastos at maluho ito,” he explained.
“Extravagant and strange, those perennial detractors in all our country’s big and ambitious undertakings, in their limited vision of life, say in reference to the costs of preparing various facilities for the games,which to them is a total waste of money,” Tolentino said.
“But there is this universal experience of mankind. Since time immemorial, when the first Olympic games were played in Athens in ancient Greece, sports have evolved an amazing way of bringing the nations of the world closer together,’ the younger brother of Sen. Francis Tolentino further reminisced.
Imagine, too, Tolentino added, athletes from other countries, especially women, crying and embracing each other during the closing ceremonies that when they go back to their homeland telling their parents, relatives and friends about many nice thoughts on their hosts, the world-renowned Filipino hospitality. And in the process, advance a few steps for better international relations among nations.
“This is, actually, the true meaning of sports, the international competitions like the SEA Games — friendhip, diplomacy more than athletic hostilities,” he said. “Sa mga ganitong pagkakataon, hindi na binibilang ang kuwaltang magagastos, ang importante dito ay magandang relasyong magagawa at mapapala sa tagumpay na pagdaraos ng palaro.”
Tolentino, likewise, questioned the timing in exposing the perceive anomaly in the construction of the cauldron, which will be used as climax of the torch relay, one of the most colorful highlights of the Games’ opening ceremonies.
“A little less than a fortnight na lang at sisimulan na ang palaro, saka pa ito in-expose, wala akong nakikitang rason dito kundi ang attempt to disrupt our preparations which are in almost completion at mapahiya ang bansa sa ibang delegasyong kakatawan sa ibang basa,”he lamented.
This, according to the POC top honcho, also came, as an insult to the Filipino brightest and finest athletes, headed by eight division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who are tasked with lighting the Games’ Flame in the cauldron.
“Ininsulto na nila our national artist, who designed the cauldron, ininsulto pa nila si Pacquiao at mga kasama na magdadala at magsisindi ng cauldron, Tolentino, bewailed in reference to national artist Francisco Mañosa, who after doing the job joined his Creator.
“Nagsisimula na ngang magdatingan ang 10 iba pang bansang kalahok sa palaro at ano a naman ang sasabihin nila sa pangyayaring ito, umiral na naman ang pagka-utak talangka nating mga Pilipino,” the former mayor of the scenic Tagaytay City said.
“Nakakahiya ngang aminin, kung mayroong palaro para sa mga tao at bansang may crab mentality, ang Pilipinas at ang mga Pilipino ang mananalo bilang overall champion,” Tolentino suggested rather jokingly.
Tolentino, likewise, allayed fears that the cauldron will turn as white elephant like the many sports complexes the government had built in the provinces that remained unused after the events they were constructed for.
“Again, they were grossly mistaken,” he contended. “Ito po ay mananatili sa kinalalagyan nito sa New Clark city Stadium dahil ang facility na nito ay siyang mananatiling permanenteng sentro ng lahat ng sports activities na gaganapin sa bansa mula ngayon kapalit ng Rizal Memorial Sports Complex dito sa Maynila.”
“Ayon sa disenyo at pagkakagawa nito, ang cauldron ay magiging permanente at hindi gigibain tulad ng kanilang iniisip,” he assured. “Because this will serve as monument of all the big local and international events that occurred in our country since organized sports was established in 1911.”