The Philippine delegation is about to set a record at the 33rd Southeast Asia (SEA) Games, with over 1,600 delegates and officials representing the country during this momentous regional event. This marks a significant increase from the previous 987 Philippine representatives that participated during the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
The opening ceremony was held last December 9 at the Rajamangala National Stadium, the national stadium of the Thailand national football team, and the largest stadium and sports venue by capacity in the country, with a capacity of 65,000.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said in a conference that the goal of the Philippine team’s turnout is to match the output in Cambodia, where the Philippine team hauled in 58 golds, 86 silvers, and 116 bronze medals, resulting in a fifth-place finish.
Vietnam placed first in the last SEA Games with a standing of 136-105-114, followed by Thailand in second place with 108-96-108 standing, Indonesia in third with 87-80-109, and Cambodia in fourth with 81-74-127.
The Philippine delegation was led by rising tennis star Alex Eala and volleyball veteran Bryan Bagunas as flag-bearers in the opening ceremony. Avel Bacudio’s “Laro ng Lahi” collection was featured in the opening ceremony walk as 150 members of Team Philippines wore the designer outfits during the parade of nations.
Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn attended the ceremony as a guest of honor, joining the opening festivities and welcoming delegates from across the region.
The 2025 SEA Games will be joined by 12,506 athletes from 11 Southeast Asian nations participating in 574 events in 50 sports. The events will be hosted in two main districts in the country, which are Bangkok and Chonburi.
With its huge delegation, the Philippines is hoping to represent the country across more sporting events and to bag more wins, raising the odds for our athletes to rise above and raise our flag.
Which athletes are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments!