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After SEA Games, PH challenged to host Asian Games in 2030

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/tvpatrol/02/18/ricky-vargas.jpg"/><figcaption>Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – Even before the Philippines officially opens the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the nation is already being challenged to host another multi-sport, multi-nation event.Erick Thohir, the chairman of the Indonesia Asian Games Organizing Committee, on Thursday lauded the Philippines&#x27; preparations for the SEA Games while also noting the country&#x27;s potential as a future host of the Asian Games.&quot;I think the Philippines will try to organize the biggest SEA Games ever,&quot; said Thohir during a press conference where the initial list of sports for next year&#x27;s event was officially unveiled. &quot;This is something remarkable.&quot;&quot;Personally, as partners of the Philippines, I&#x27;m really sure that the next step for the Philippines can be hosting the Asian Games in 2030,&quot; the Indonesian businessman added.Jakarta and Palembang will host the Asian Games in September, with Thohir reporting that over 90% of the venues were already completed.Hangzhou, China will then get its turn in 2022, before hosting shifts to Nagoya, Japan in 2026.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/seagames/news/2018/05/17/seag-council-announces-initial-30-sports-2019-meet-41733">READ: SEAG council announces initial 30 sports to be played in 2019 meet</a></li></ul>However, the hosting rights for the 2030 edition of the continental event are still up in the air. Thohir believes that with how the Philippines is preparing for the 2019 SEA Games, there is no doubt that the country can take on the responsibility of hosting the Asian Games next.&quot;With all the infrastructure that you are building for the SEA Games, I think it will be a waste if you don&#x27;t have other big events,&quot; said Thohir.&quot;You are going to build a new city, new facilities… I really believe that all the Southeast Asian countries, and if possible the Philippines, can be the next host (of the Asian Games),&quot; he also said.Indeed, construction is already underway for a sports city in Clark, Pampanga, while there are plans to refurbish and upgrade several other venues in Clark, Subic, and in Metro Manila. The three areas will serve as the main hubs of the 2019 SEA Games.If the Philippines does decide to bid for the 2030 Asian Games, the country will have an ally in Indonesia, Thohir assured.&quot;If the Philippines is open to that, I&#x27;m open to lobby the Olympic Council of Asia, if the Philippines can be one of the candidates,&quot; said Thohir.&quot;I think it will be good for the people of the Philippines,&quot; he added, noting that hosting such a major sports event will be good for business, national branding, as well as job creation.Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas just stopped short of accepting Thohir&#x27;s challenge.&quot;If the Filipino puts his heart and mind into it, and we have the same organization… that is committed to see the success of the SEA Games, then I think we can do this again, and we can do it in an even larger scale,&quot; he said.Before even thinking about the Asian Games, however, the Philippines must first fulfill its goal of hosting the &quot;best ever&quot; SEA Games next year.&quot;If we learn from this experience, we can all be successful, it will give us enough courage and confidence to do the 2030 Asian Games,&quot; said Vargas.The POC president then shifted the challenge back to Thohir, whose country is just three months away from hosting the Asian Games.&quot;I think I would challenge Indonesia,&quot; said Vargas. &quot;Why don&#x27;t they go for the Olympic Games? I think they can. We follow your footsteps. We go Asian, you go Olympic, then we go Olympic.&quot;The Philippines hosted the second-ever edition of the Asian Games in Manila in 1954. Indonesia is hosting the continental showcase for only the second time in its country&#x27;s history after it hosted the 1962 edition of the Asian Games.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Even before the Philippines officially opens the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the nation is already being challenged to host another multi-sport, multi-nation event.

Even before the Philippines officially opens the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, the nation is already being challenged to host another multi-sport, multi-nation event.

After SEA Games, PH challenged to host Asian Games in 2030

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After SEA Games, PH challenged to host Asian Games in 2030

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 17, 2018 07:00 PM PHT

Read More:

Asian Games

Southeast Asian Games

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