I didn't really expect to be this engrossed with the 30th SEA Games this year as my country plays host. It's the fourth time the Philippines has hosted the Southeast Asian Games which happens every other year. I've read and heard some controversy about the preparations but I just brushed it aside, knowing that people tend to make a big deal about politics in pretty much about everything. 

There were also a lot of things going on at work (I work as a Virtual Assistant!) which I think needs more time and attention.

As days drew closer to the opening of day last Nov 30, I was surprisingly getting excited! I saw a lot of adverts on SKY channels giving us a preview on what to expect about the SEA Games. It was 12-day action-packed event participated in by 11 member countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam; with 530 sports events and a total of 5,630 athletes participants.

The day of the opening had wonderful reviews all over the internet. It was definitely one for the books. Indeed, it uplifted everyone spirits as Filipinos, as cliche as it may sound. And at that instant, we felt united despite many differences. The opening number was spectacular, the dances, songs, costumes, and the venue itself--- all the details were perfect.

Through the course of the competition days, I am so proud of the organizers and of our government for giving the athletes a world-class experience in terms of sports facilities, food and accommodation. We have surely leveled-up and I hope this continues for future sports events in the country, be it on national or international level.

Watching the events and games were exciting as days passed by. I would check the latest just by visiting these channels on SKYcable: ABS-CBN, S+A, Liga and TV5. There was also a dedicated SKY Pay per view channel featuring the SEA Games. They were giving real time updates so I didn't miss anything. Gymnastics, Volleyball and Billiards were, by the way, my top favorites events :)

The efforts of the Philippine team paid off with a strong finish, leading the final medal tally with 149 golds, 117 silver and 121 bronze medals! Everyone brought home the bacon, even the Timor Leste athletes, the team we rooted for to score at least a single SEA Games medal won 6 medals all in all!

The closing ceremonies were as epic as the opening. It was guested by no less than Apl de Ap (Allan Pineda Lino in real life) with his Grammy-award winning hiphop group, The Black Eyed Peas.  Seeing the crowd, all cheering and joyful is proof that Philippines' staging of the SEA Games 2019 was truly a success!

***Sea Games 2019  info taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Southeast_Asian_Games