The 30th Southeast Asian Games haven’t even officially begun, but the days leading up to the opening ceremony have already been turbulent, to say the least.
From the renovations of sporting venues, accommodations, transportation, and even media accreditation — the lead-up to the official curtain raiser of the regional biennial meet has been hounded by alarming glitches.
And there’s no question that the athletes are in the most distress with all the lapses in preparation of the host country, Philippines.
But amidst all the ruckus, Alyssa Valdez, a perennial national team campaigner, wants her fellow flag bearers to remain focused on bringing glory to the country and uplifting the spirit of a weary nation.
“Ako, as an athlete, we have to focus sa kung anong pinaghahandaan namin more than anything else,” asserted Valdez, who has been a mainstay in the national team.
“Sa lahat ng atletang lumalaban, I think they are focusing on kung paano sila magpe-perform ng maganda, ano ‘yung mga kailangan nilang gawin, more than all those na nakikita on social media.”
Still, the 5-foot-9 outside hitter hopes that the authorities handling the multi-nation showpiece will be able to smooth things out in the days to come.
“Hindi parin tapos. Kakasimula pa lang ng SEA Games,” Valdez stressed. “So hopefully, eventually, magiging maganda rin ‘yung mapapakita ng Philippines, not only sa paghahanda ng SEA Games but also sa mabibigay nating medalya para sa bansa.”
Valdez’s longtime teammate in Jia Morado echoed her sentiments. The national team playmaker asserted that she and her fellow athletes should focus on what they can control during the SEA Games, which will run from November 30 to December 11.
“Kasi may mga bagay kasi na kaya namin controlin, may mga bagay na hindi namin kaya controlin, and ‘yung part na ‘yun is not under our responsibility,” Morado opined. “May mga bagay lang talaga na dapat nandyan na pero hindi naman namin hawak ‘yun.
“So the best thing to do is to put our focus on the things we can control, which is ‘yung game namin and ‘yung training namin.”
Dire as the situation seems, Morado is optimistic as well that things will turn out well as the festivities go along.
“Pero siyempre, hoping kami na maayos sana, and lalo na nandito tayo sa home court na maraming Filipino athletes and international athletes na magco-compete na sobrang nag-prepare para sa SEA Games.”
