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SCMP’s Asia desk

The Philippines has been receiving media attention for all the wrong reasons ahead of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, which officially begin on November 30.
The country has apologised to athletes and vowed to do better after teething problems were experienced by teams who arrived over the weekend for the competition’s football tournament, which started on Monday.
Organisers said such snags occur in international sporting events because of the number of countries and athletes involved.
But Filipinos weren’t so sure, blaming corruption and inefficiency and expressing their embarrassment. There’s even a Twitter hashtag: #SEAGames2019fail.




Here’s a summary of what went wrong:
HOTEL CHAOS
After a long journey, it’s only fair to expect a comfortable hotel room. Not so for the Cambodian team, who were pictured sleeping on the floor as they waited for their hotel rooms.
“Things are not perfect,” said Cambodia’s head coach Felix Darmas. “We just have to wait a few hours to get picked up. It was not ideal. Eight to nine hours to get into our hotel. But things happen.”
The organising committee blamed travel schedule changes and the hotel’s afternoon check-in time and full occupancy.

The Philippine hosting of the #SEAGames2019 has steamed people in social media this weekend after the transportation and hotel accommodation arrangement of Century Park Hotel Manila with several foreign teams turned into a mess. #SEAGamesfailhttps://t.co/IAyIajnb4H
— Vuuzle.TV Philippines (@VuuzleTVPh) November 25, 2019

Meanwhile, East Timor’s team were transported to the wrong hotel, and had to endure another long wait for transport to their intended accommodation, complicating their training schedule.
“All nations deserve respect. What happened yesterday was not a beautiful image,” said East Timor’s head coach Fabiano Flora.

CRAMPED TRANSPORT
Myanmar athletes complained about delays at the airport, and then the cramped minibus transport they were given. Their planned practice session could not be held on Saturday as a result.
Myanmar’s coach Velizar Popov said they were “not happy with some things” but their focus would be on the football, and not “looking for excuses”.
CNN Philippines reported on Tuesday that a local football team lent 17 buses to assist in transporting teams.


SEA Games likened to Fyre Festival after series of complaints
LONG JOURNEYS
Thailand’s football team were also stuck at the airport for a number of hours, and complained about the facilities and meals at their hotel. The team ended up having a practice session on the streets near the hotel instead of spending hours travelling to the training venue, 30km away in Manila’s notorious traffic.
Thai coach Akira Nishino said he wished the organisers could provide “a good environment and good perfect meal” for his players.
INSUFFICIENT HALAL FOOD
Singapore media reported that the country’s chef de mission Juliana Seow told organisers that its football team - the majority of whom are Muslim - were not provided with sufficient portions and variety of halal food at their accommodation at the Century Park Hotel, which is also where the predominantly Muslim Malaysia and Brunei squads are staying.
INCOMPLETE
Indonesian media outlets complained that renovations to Manila’s Rizal Memorial Stadium were not complete in time for the games, asking “why isn’t the stadium fixed?”
Malaysia’s football manager also said the team “would have to manage” as the dressing room at their stadium was still being renovated.
Meanwhile, images of scaffolding on the stadium and an incomplete media centres were shared widely online.

Media center looks like the unfinished mall we turned into a haunted abandoned hospital in my last film. Except lang random dangerous-looking scaffolds sa wall.
Baka kagaya ng cauldron, art din ito? #SEAGames2019fail pic.twitter.com/oc14CP5QOu
— Kip Oebanda (@kipoebanda) November 25, 2019

MEDIA MAYHEM
Media representatives did not fare much better than players. As they arrived, the first foreign journalists were left to rifle through a pile of media passes on a table to find their relevant accreditation tags.
Meanwhile, one of the first football games, between Malaysia and Myanmar, did not have a functioning scoreboard, according to reports.

4 pics 1 word ‍♀️‍♀️#SEAGames2019fail pic.twitter.com/gYvQJEads6
— K L E R (@asdfghjkler_) November 26, 2019

Who you should be looking out for at the upcoming SEA Games 2019
The SEA Games, which run until December 11, will feature 56 sporting events across dozens of venues in and around Manila and other areas. The Philippines has hosted the games three times before, the last time being in 2005.
This article has been updated to reflect comments made by Singapore’s chef de mission to local media.


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Southeast Asian Games 2019 (SEA Games)

SEA Games: How the Philippines scored an own goal before the start

Timorese players wait for hours at the airport before being transported to their hotel for the 2019 SEA Games. Photo: Facebook

This photo taken on November 21, 2019, shows workers preparing steps leading to the cauldron tower at the athletics stadium for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games at New Clark City in Tarlac, north of Manila. - A cauldron costing nearly 1 million USD that will hold the Southeast Asian Games flame has drawn anger in the Philippines, sparking comparisons to the excesses that epitomised the Marcos era. (Photo by STR / AFP)

SEA Games in Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippines likened to Fyre Festival after series of complaints

A man works in front of the athletes’ village inside the New Clark City Sports Complex for the SEA Games in the Philippines. Photo: EPA

epa08013250 Filipino athletes stand next to the couldron at the New Clark City Sports Complex for the South East Asian Games in Capas, Tarlac province, Philippines, 21 November 2019. The Philippines will host the 30th SEA Games from 30 November to 11 December 2019. EPA-EFE/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

SEA Games 2019: training on the street; sleeping on function room floors; wrong hotels – Philippines scramble to clean up mess

Spectators watch the SEA Games football clash between Philippines and Cambodia in Manila. Photo: EPA

Manuel Aguinaldo (R) of the Philippines heads the ball against Cambodia's players during their first round Group A football match at the 2019 SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila on November 25, 2019. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

President Rodrigo Duterte fuels SEA Games fire by defending the US$985,000 spent on 50-metre high flame cauldron

The SEA Games cauldron will burn for 12 days and costs around 50 million pesos. Photo: BCDA Philippines

epa07968867 Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during the 16th ASEAN-India Summit as part of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province, Thailand, 03 November 2019. Thailand is hosting the 35th ASEAN Summit, which runs from 02 to 04 November 2019. EPA-EFE/PONGMANAT TASIRI

The aquatic centre for the Sea Games

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Teams have complained about long delays at the airport, being unable to check into hotels
The organisers have apologised for the shortcomings, and vowed to do better


Teams have complained about long delays at the airport, being unable to check into hotels.


The Philippines

SEA Games: How the Philippines scored an own goal before the start

Teams have complained about long delays at the airport, being unable to check into hotels The organisers have apologised for the shortcomings, and vowed to do better

Teams have complained about long delays at the airport, being unable to check into hotels

The organisers have apologised for the shortcomings, and vowed to do better