SEA Games 2019 closes in grand fashion
Credit to Author: Christina Alpad, TMT| Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2019 16:19:35 +0000
Colorful, grand and teeming with Filipino pride.
These best describe the closing ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Wednesday.
Thousands of Filipinos trooped to the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac to watch the ceremony. Flags, shirts and other SEA Games memorabilia were sold at the gates.
The Aeta Festival Dancers of Porac and the Manila Concert Choir entertained the audience before Journey frontman Arnel Pineda took the stage to lead the singing of the Philippines’ national anthem.
The show began a little after 6 p.m. with the Parade of Athletes and team officials. Roger Casugay, who made headlines for helping an Indonesian surfer, carried the country’s flag.
Athletes, volunteers and SEA Games personnel let down their hair and jammed to Pineda’s renditions of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer,” Guns And Roses’ “Sweet Child Of Mine” and Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” among others.
Spectators were treated to a 5-minute drone show.
During the program, outstanding athletes were recognized, among them the Best Male Athlete; Best Female Athlete and Fair Play Athlete.
The Philippines was formally awarded the Overall Championship Award for winning the most gold medals — 149.
Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee Chairman and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano highlighted the successful hosting of the country in his speech.
“We have shown the world that we can do it and we will do it with world-class quality,” he said, boasting that the 30th SEA Games was the biggest edition with 56 sports and 530 events.
He commended the heroism of the Filipinos who made the Games possible and athletes, specifically Casugay, who showed the world of Filipino sportsmanship.
Handover ceremony
Keeping up with tradition, a handover ceremony featuring the retreat of the SEA Games Federation flag, the extinguishing of the cauldron, the handover of the SEA Games flag to the next host, which is Vietnam, also took place. A Vietnamese cultural presentation ensued.
A grand fireworks show illuminated the 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium before 6-time Grammy Award winning group Black Eyed Peas took the stage and ended the celebration with a massive party.