MANILA, Philippines – World champion gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo will be the torchbearer during the opening ceremony of the 30th Southeast Asian Games on November 30, 2019.

Meantime, six other athletes led by Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz will carry the flag during the parade of national continents on the same day at Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

Aside from Diaz, world champion boxer Nesthy Petecio, Asian Games skateboarding gold medalist Margielyn Didal, world boxing championships silver medalist Eumir Marcial, Olympic pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, and SEA Games judo champion Kiyomi Watanabe will parade the national colors at the opening.

Officials said that Yulo was tasked to light the Sea Games flame for his accomplishment at the world artistic gymnastics championship last month in Germany after he snared a gold in men’s floor exercise, the first such feat by a Filipino in the history of the tournament.

The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has no formal announcement yet about it, but an online newspaper said these athletes have already been handpicked.

Top sports officials will hold a press conference to officially announce the development. (Lloyd Tagbago/IAMIGO/CNS)