DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Roa Duterte wished all the Filipino athletes and participants good luck in their participation in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

“I wish them all the luck and my fervent prayers go with it,” President Duterte said in an interview during an event in Davao City Sunday.

The Philippines will be hosting the SEA Games from November 30 to December 2 this year, with the 50,000-seat Philippine Sports Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan becoming the venue for the opening rites.

Thousands of athletes from Southeast Asian countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, Singapore, and Vietnam will participate in various sports events.

The sports competitions will take place in New Clark City Sports Hub in Tarlac, Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, and other provinces in the Philippines such as Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Zambales.

The Philippines will field more than 1,000 athletes this year. The country won its first-ever SEA Games overall championship in 2005 during its chairmanship. (PND/IAMIGO/CNS)