With Ricky Vargas stepping down as president of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), his successor in Joey Romasanta vowed to waste no time to make sure that the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games

will still be a success.

In fact, Romasanta already tasked former POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros to call for an

emergency SEA Games Federation Council meeting to brief 10 other member countries on the latest development and find a solution on how they can move on from this shocking turn of events.

One of the solutions being looked at is moving the SEA Games to next year. Initially, the biennial meet is set from 30 November to 15 December. But with the sudden change of leadership in the POC, it would be justifiable to the Council if the host country will

move it to the first quarter of next year.

After all, there’s no major sports event next year aside from the Tokyo Olympic, which is set from 24 July to 9 August.

Another solution is cutting down the number of sports.

In the calendar prepared by Vargas and the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation Inc., a body that operates the SEA Games hosting without board approval from the POC, there are 56 sports in the biennial meet.

But some of the sports that were included do not have national sports associations (NSAs), making it very challenging for the organizers to fulfill the technical requirements and officiating.

Among the sports that do not have established NSAs are underwater hockey, modern pentathlon, esports and polo.

Shortly after assuming the position Tuesday, Romasanta sat down with Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez to discuss their course of action and collaboration.

Then, a prominent member of the POC board in lawyer Clint Aranas, who is also the president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), phoned in Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to apprise him on the sudden change of leadership in the local Olympic council.

They set an extraordinary general assembly meeting on 25 June at the GSIS gymnasium while the emergency SEA Games Federation Council meeting is expected to happen in July.

“A lot of work still needs to be done,” said Romasanta, an old hand in Philippine sports being the chief of the successful Project: Gintong Alay during the administration of former President Corazon Aquino.

“We have to regroup and sync everything together not just on the part of the POC, but also on the part of the PSC, the SEA Games Federation Council, and our national government. Everybody has to be aligned and be on the same page. We have to find a solution in every problem.”

Under the Phisgoc Foundation headed by Cong. Alan Peter Cayetano, the country’s preparation for the biennial meet was mismanaged.

And since it operates without board approval from the POC, eight of the 13 board members strongly questioned its authority to run the SEA Games, including the creation of SEA Games logo, SEA Games mascot and SEA Games hymn and motto as well as enter into contracts with sponsors and suppliers.

There were also questions about the venues after Phisgoc Foundation decided to move some sports away from the main hub at the New Clark City in Tarlac as well as the marketing campaign, transportation and volunteer program.

But the biggest question is the production of technical handbook.

Phisgoc Foundation has yet to finish the technical handbook, putting NSAs and their foreign counterparts in the dark as to how the event will be ran.

“The technical handbook is the heart and soul of the SEA Games. It serves as the bible of the organizers,” said an NSA leader who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

“We submitted our guidelines as early as January, but until now, Phisgoc has yet to print it. They said they are still compiling everything and would have to review it. My God, it’s already June and the technical handbook still remains pending.”

Romasanta, however, said he would make sure that everything would be in order as soon as he settles down.

“We’re ready to pick up the pieces,” Romasanta said. “We want to hold a successful SEA Games hosting despite the challenges we are facing.”