11 of 56 sports confirmed to be televised during 30th SEA Games

“We’re trying to focus only on 11 live sports that are really popular not only in the Philippines but regional sports too.” – PHISGOC Chief Operation Officer Ramon Suzara (File Photo: SEAGames PH 2019/Official Website)

After the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) conducted a Broadcast and Media Conference last Tuesday, July 23 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, the foundation confirmed that the country’s most popular sports will be available for viewing to the public on two of the country’s largest networks during the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games happening this November.

According to PHISGOC, besides the opening and closing ceremonies, ESPN5 and ABS-CBN will also be broadcasting both 5×5 and 3×3 basketball, as well as indoor volleyball.

PHISGOC Chief Operation Officer Ramon Suzara explained, “We’re trying to focus only on 11 live sports that are really popular not only in the Philippines but regional sports too like badminton and sepak takraw and football.” Football, swimming, diving, athletics, badminton, boxing, gymnastics, sepak takraw, taekwondo, and E-sports are also being featured.

Suzara added, “Again these are only 11 live sports that will be divided to local TV networks.

The other sports will be highlights.

Again as I mentioned earlier today, there’s cost in every sport that you want to do live, there’s an additional cost. Everybody knows that.”

Basketball will run from December 1 to 10, while volleyball matches are scheduled from November 28 to December 10.

Last week, the host country’s president Rodrigo Duterte was outspoken about the desire to eliminate PHISGOC from organizing the international biennial event to avoid corruption, opting to hand responsibilities to the government. Yet, Suzara also addressed the statements, telling the press, “I think the negative publicity doesn’t help organizing the Games. I appeal to all the media practitioners to support. We’re trying to raise the SEA Games level to the Asian Games level. We want to educate the public that this is the new SEA Games.”