Phan made the statement during a reception held on September 3 for Charge d’Affaires Paul Vincent L.Uy from the Philippines Embassy in Vietnam in order to discuss co-operation in the sports field.
The meeting saw Uy express his wishes to share the Philippines’s experience in organising the 30th SEA Games last year as a means of supporting preparation work for the 31st SEA Games which will be hosted by the nation in 2021.
Furthermore, Uy also said that he is keen to gain a greater insight into criteria for choosing the four sports that will be introduced within the competition schedule of the 31st SEA Games.
He went on to speak highly of Vietnamese success achieved during the martial arts with stick category at the 30th SEA Games, with the local team winning four golds, 10 silvers, and six bronze medals.
Indeed, Uy has therefore proposed introducing this event into the competition schedule at the 31st SEA Games.
Following this, Phan offered his warmest thanks to Uy and organisers from the SEA Games 30 for providing invaluable insights for the Vietnamese sports delegation to enjoy, adding that the Philippines will share their experience in hosting the Southeast Asia’s largest sports festival.
With regard to the proposal made to include martial arts fought using a stick during the 31st SEA Games, Phan said the country’s organisers are still in the process of considering the four most suitable sports for all participating countries, before they are submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in November.