THE 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games is less than a year away, and people from across the region are looking forward to the biennial event. As the host of this edition of the games, the Philippines is hard at work in preparing to stage an unforgettable event that raises the bar for the future editions of the Games.
In the hustle and bustle of these preparations, it is easy to overlook the very foundation of such an event: the athletes. Across the country, our national athletes sacrifice much of their time to better themselves and improve their performance, not just for their own gain but for the glory of our country. As they continue to give their all for the Philippines, it is imperative that we as a nation give them the support that they deserve.
With this, MTD Philippines, Inc., the 30th SEA Games’ infrastructure developer, aims to enhance the training conditions of our national athletes by installing SmarTracks technology in the new training facilities in New Clark City. SmarTracks, the first of its kind in athletic performance tracking technology, enables athletes and coaches to record and document vital data on team and individual performances in real time. Using state-of the-art sensor technology and a mobile application, SmarTracks eliminates the need for manual performance tracking by instantly providing the necessary information to help our athletes monitor their progress and adapt their training more efficiently.
MTD Philippines, Inc. introduced SmarTracks to our national athletes, coaches, and concerned training committees today, January 29, at the Philippine Sports Complex in Pasig City. Members of the athletic team were also invited to participate in a live demonstration of the technology.
“It’s great for the morale, great atmosphere to see all of the interest and all of the demonstration and the explanations going on and they performed well in practices, it was probably the best practices of the season,” said Rohsaan Griffin, Head Coach of the National Athletics Team.
“This year’s a big year and so we need as many measurable metrics as we can get to chart our progress.”
“Makakatulong [ang SmarTracks] sa future namin,” said national athlete and 2017 SEA Games bronze medalist Clinton Kingley Bautista. “Malalaman na namin na magiging accurate na ang time. Sa ibang bansa kasi, electronic time na rin ang ginagamit. Para maging tama ang oras namin sa international.”
For the Philippines, hosting the SEA Games does not end in making sure that the world sees our capability to bring a world class sporting event that raises the bar for future hosts.
More than the brand new stadiums and the medal tallies, the biggest legacy the Philippines can hope to leave behind as hosts of the 30th SEA Games is to encourage the continuous support of our athletes and help them become top-level competitors. It is with this that we hope to inspire the whole nation that together, we win as one.
