The Philippines is again the host of the Southeast Asian Games, to be held from November 30 to December 11. And you are probably excited to support Team Philippines in the different events. Here is a quick guide for watching the SEA Games in person and on TV.
The SEA Games Venues
The SEA Games will be comprised of 529 events covering 56 different sports. These events are to be held in over 40 venues located in four clusters, namely
- Metro Manila
- Clark, Pampanga
- Subic, Zambales
- Batangas, La Union, And Tagaytay
Except for the fourth cluster, most of the venues are just two hours away from Manila. Aside from driving, you can commute to the venues through the usual bus routes. Do note that traffic is expected to be significant in those areas, so be prepared. Here is a quick look at some of the notable games venues to check out.
New Clark City Sports Hub
The newly-built New Clark City Sports Hub is one of the event’s main attractions. It features both an athletics stadium and an aquatics center. The former is where most of the track and field events will be held. It can sit around 21,000 people and feature an exterior design inspired by Mount Pinatubo.
Meanwhile, the Aquatics Center is where the swimming, diving, and water polo events will be held. Aside from the main Olympic pool, there is a dedicated one for the diving event and a training pool. There is also a separate dryland training area for athletes.
Mall of Asia Arena
The Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay is already well known as a staging ground for many international events, including basketball games. So it is no surprise that the main basketball competition will be held here. The arena has a seating capacity of 20,000, making it ideal for the popular event.
University of the Philippines, Diliman
UP Diliman’s football stadium is as one of the three venues for the Men’s Football matches. It is right along Ylanan Street on the campus, which is accessible to those coming from Commonwealth avenue. The other two venues are the Binan Football Stadium and the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Subic Bay Boardwalk
For those planning to see endurance games action, Subic Bay will be hosting a large number of these events. In particular, the Boardwalk area is the venue for duathlon, triathlon, and modern pentathlon. Other SEA Games events you can check out in the vicinity are windsurfing, Muay Thai, and table tennis.
Philippine Arena
While it is not hosting any sporting event, the Philippine Arena is where the 2019 SEA Games opening ceremonies will be held. The arena is located near the North Luzon Expressway Bocaue exit, making it very accessible to spectators coming from Manila. It is also the world’s largest indoor arena, having a seating capacity of 55,000.
Getting your tickets for the SEA Games
SM Tickets, the SEA Games’ official ticketing partner, has already begun offering tickets for the opening ceremonies and the main events last October. The prices for the opening ceremonies admission are as follows:
- Patron: Php 12,000
- Upper Box: Php 4000
- General Admission (Center): Php 1500
- General Admission (side): Php 1000
The General Admission seats are still available, so you can grab them before the event. As for the sporting events, SM Tickets grouped them by cluster, which makes searching for the specific event easier. Most of the tickets cost 50 pesos but those for larger venues like the MOA Arena can go up to around 800 pesos for Patron seats.
If you do plan to watch the games live, to be familiar with the sports venues. Some of these are located within commercial establishments or campuses, which have attendance rules. Be sure to get rules for these places to avoid any issue. Also, some venues are small so you want to secure your tickets early to secure a seat.
Watching the SEA Games on TV
For this year’s SEA Games, television network TV5 and satellite television provider Cignal secured the main broadcast rights. The former will broadcast live events on its main free channel and 5 Plus UHF channel.
Meanwhile, Cignal launched three dedicated channels for the coverage: SEA Games Channel, Team Pilipinas, and SEA Games News Channel. The first one is for live broadcasts while the latter two are for sports news and updates. Additionally, the games will be streamed online on ESPN5.com and the two providers’ dedicated YouTube channels.
A total of 11 events will be broadcast, including:
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Boxing
- Football
- Esports
For the other events, the above channels will provide daily highlights and updates. You can also get the latest sports news through other broadcasters and news outlets.
Get ready and enjoy the SEA Games
The country getting to host the SEA Games is a privilege that comes once every decade. So you would not want to miss the opportunity to see great athletes in action. Gear up and get ready to support local athletes in this massive sporting event.