CDM Fernandez kinatawan ang PH squad sa Viet SEAG closing rites… GOODBYE HANOI, HELLO PHNOM PENN!

BILANG pagtupad sa katungkulang pinuno ng Philippine delegation, kinatawan ni national team chef de mission Ramon Fernandez ang Pilipinas para sa simbolikong seremonya ng pagtatapos ng 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games sa My Dinh National Stadium kahapon habang halos lahat ng miyembro ng Team Philippines ay pauwi na ng bansa.

Katuwang ni Fernandez ang kanyang deputies na sina Carl Sambrano at Pear Managuelod ng rollersports at muay thai, sa kaganapang idinaos ng Vietnam Sports, Culture and Tourism sa pangunguna ni Minister Nguyen Van Hung. Naroon din sa event si Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, na siyang mage-extinguish ng simbolikong sulo ng Palaro.

Ibinaba na rin ang Southeast Asian Games Federation flag at iniabot sa kinatawan. ng Cambodia na tatayong host ng 32nd SEA Games sa Cambodian capital ng Phnom Penh sa May 2023.

Ang naturang regional meet ay dapat nairaos noong Nobyembre ng nakaraang taon pero natengga ng dahil sa spike ng COVID-19 na nanalasa sa rehiyon.Pinaka-apektado ng virus crisis ay ang build-up ng ating mga pambatong atleta na magiting pa pa ring lumaban at nakamit pa ang fourth overall sa medal standings na nakapag- uwi ng 52 gold, 70 silver at 105 bronze medals, ani Fernandez.

Tulad ng inaasahan, Tinanghal na overall champion ang Vietnam na humakot ng 205-125-116 habang ang segundang Thailand was a distant second (92-103-136) ay naorasan ng (69-91-81). “We finished fourth place among 11 brother-countries in the region. This is our best finish since 1983 ( in the Singapore SEA Games when we placed second to Indonesia) in a SEA Games event outside the Philippines,” wika ni Fernandez “As Chef de Mission, I am truly very proud of this feat! Just as I thank my Philippine Sports Commission family headed by Chairman William Ramirez for their all-out support,”dagdag pa ng PSC commissioner .

“To Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino, maraming salamat po for giving me the honor to head the delegation. To my deputy CDMs Pearl Managuelod and Carl Sambrano and to everyone who contributed one way or the other, daghang salamat,” saad pa ni Fernandez “This was an enlightening and educational experience for yours truly. We fought as one and won as one! Mabuhay ang atletang Pilipino!”

Bilang pampinaleng papel ng pinuno ng Philippine delegation, Dumalo rin ang top official ng PSC para sa final CDM meeting kamakalawa kung saan pinasalamatan niya si Cambodian CDM Soksival Nhan ang Vietnamese organizers sa kanilang warm hospitality sa kasagsagan ng Games. “Nhan extended his personal invitation in welcoming all of the other 10 participating countries to the 32nd SEA Games in Phnom Pehn next year,” pahayag pa ni Fernandez na tiniyak ang matiwasay na pag- uwi ng Team Phopippines. (Danny Simon)