es snafus

BY JOSEF T. RAMOS

THE Philippines, the host ofthis year's South-

east Asian (SEA) Games, came under lire on
Sunday over the shabby welcome given to
arriving athletes from four countries
Delegares from
Thailand, Nlyar QIte fflcuils Ciintes
j /]lrstr r:li!
@lseffiunila @imps mar, Cambodia
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and Timor-Leste
had complained '
that they waited
hou$ at the airyoft

I News M0NDAY November 25, 201 9

or were driven to
the wrong hotel.
Athletes have begun flying into Manila
ahead of the November 30 opening of the
Games, but for Cambodia ?nd East Timor's
football squads, the ardval was notwhat they
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were elipectilrg.
"We had to r,vait naybe like
eight, nir}e hours to get to our
F! ftST lV{ ffi D I A B K I E F I F,l 6 (ambodia's rootbau team (oa(h Fetix Datmas (left )
speaks as Myanmar's coach Velizar P0pov (second fiom left), the Philippines'coa(h G0ran Milojevic (third from
hotel, "-coach |elix Dalrnas of
left), Malaysia's coa(h 0ng Kim Swee (foulth from l€ft) and East Timorl (oa(h tabiano Flora listen during a news
Cau.rbodia said il
a irelrs confer
(onference in Manila. Airp ?t-ici-o
ence Sunday. I Ie added that rher.
also had to wait for hours for the "For those foreign teams, \!e are nodadons," he added. rJ mrr-rtdb ,l.lsba5h. Ipwin nYo
shuttle sen,ice. apologizing for the inconvenienc- "\le are noi promising that the na lang 'nn, n at:,u ngSL\ Caures. . .

llast llno/s teau was drivetr to
dre wrong hotel, conrplicating their
anival and uaining schedules.
"All lations deserve resprct
and rvhat happeired yeslerday
(SatuLday) rvas not so bcautiful,"
East'llmor's coach l:abiaro FIora
told reporters.
Philippine Southeasi Asiar
Canes Orgaliziug Comnittee
(Pbisgoc) Ohainnar Alan Peter
Cayetano apolog,ized for the chaos
and appealed [or rLrdersLanding.
cayeLaro nored dral the Pltis,
goc officials had rallied rvith the
delegates from Nl)'arlDat lilnor
Lesrg Cambodia ard 'ihailand.
es or if I may call inefficiencies or
miscoordinations,' he said.
ivlalacanang also issued ar apol-
ogy to the concemed atliletes.
"The Office of the Presidenr
ivill not offer any excuses. As host
couDtry, we apologize for the
unintentional inconvenience suf-
lired bl our athlete guests, " Palace
spokesnan Salavador Panelo said
ill a staterDent on Sunda]
"What is nore irnportant and
nore pressing is Phisgoc has
colrnitted to do better il ensur-
ing proper coordiration from
the arrival of the athleres to dreir
transponadon and hotei accom
Cames lvill run without a hitdr,
givel the coundess athletes who
wiil participate and represent their
respective countrles, but we rvill
erercise due diligence ir making
sure everyone rr'iil have a oleasant.
productive and memorable stal in
dre Philippines," Panelo said.
Cayetano said Phisgoc officials
are doing *reir best to address
probierns that may arise.
"We alwals hope aa m aayos (that
things will run smoothly). But we
are human, arpeo ra day to day
nra.i,mga mini crisis '1ar like traffic
(there rr'ill be mini'crises)," he said.
'Magatlong'n ong na lang \fag
Pilipinas ksi ang auntaa,r (Lels help
kfs not reson to basling
eadr other
becausethe Philipphes i.vill suffer).
I'm appealing ibr understanding"
Cavemo added.
.\teanwhile, Chief Opeiating
otncer Ramon Suzara denied that
there are irfomation technology
(lT) related problems that night
compromise the games.
"l don't hear [ofl anv IT issues.
Polo was oka lfthere's any issue I
will check it widr the II depanment
and tire sports depa,-nnent. I didn't
receive any nerts or repors, " he said.
WITH DIVINA NOVA JOY
DELA CRUZ

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