MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has extended his well-wishes to all Filipino athletes competing in the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which the country will be hosting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.
“I wish them all the luck and my fervent prayers go with them,” Duterte told reporters Saturday in an interview in Davao City.
The games will be held in venues in Metro Manila, Clark, and Subic in Pampanga and other areas.
The Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the Athletics Stadium, and Aquatic Center in New Clark City, and the Manila Polo Club are among the venues that will welcome athletes from countries neighboring the Philippines until Dec. 11.
The country’s hosting of the biennial regional multi-sporting event is off to a rough start as several football teams from neighboring countries encountered problems with transportation and hotel arrangements upon their arrival in the country over the weekend.
The Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), the private organization in charge of organizing the games, has already apologized for their shortcomings.