Clark facilities for SEAG get good rating

MANILA, Philippines — More than 150 national athletes visited New Clark City Friday to see the construction progress of the New Clark City Sports Complex that will be used for the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2019. 

They liked what they saw.

Speaking in behalf of the athletes, Cheska Altomonte, captain of the Philippine Women’s Softball Team said the facilities are what athletes and their coaches have been dreaming of.

“Up until 11 this morning, this complex was a bedtime story to us. It was a fairytale. We never believed it was actually real. We are very excited. We are very inspired to train harder than ever.”

 The sports facilities are part of the Phase 1A development of the National Government Administrative Center (NGAC) in New Clark City, which is envisioned to be the main hub of Philippine sports. It will house the Athletics Stadium which has a 20,000-seating capacity, Aquatics Center which can accommodate 2,000 people, and an Athletes’ Village.

“The fast construction of the sports facilities proves that the government is committed to enhance sports development in the country so we can produce more world-class athletes, and host international sporting events in the future,” said Philipine SEA Games organizing committee chairman Allan Peter Cayetano, who along with former presidential assistant Bong Go, led the  tour of the sports facilities.

Swimmer Jessie Lacuna also expressed gratitude for organizing the athletes’ visit.

 “It’s very exciting for us to represent the country in the SEA Games. Makakaasa po kayo na sa lahat ng pinaghirapan niyo, makapag-produce rin kami and makapag-perform ng maayos for next year’s games,” Lacuna said.

The Athletics Stadium will have a 400-meter standard track and a nine-lane world-class track and field facility. Its design is inspired from the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, the contours of the Sierra Madre ranges, and the festive details of the parols (Christmas lanterns) of Pampanga.

Meanwhile, the Aquatics Center will have an eight-lane training pool, a 10-lane competition pool, and a diving pool with a five-meter maximum depth.

Both the Athletics Stadium and the Aquatics Center meet global standards of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA), respectively.

The Athletes’ Village will serve as home of the athletes, officials, and international volunteers for the entire duration of the 2019 SEA Games. It will have 525 rooms, 95 of which are for PWDs, gym amenities, kitchen and dining areas, conference rooms, and other recreational facilities.

At the core of the development is the 1.4-kilometer River Park Corridor for people to have a sense of harmony with nature. The corridor will have bikeways, jogging paths, open amphitheaters, and spots for community activities such as yoga and zumba.