2017 SEA Games Logo, Theme and Mascot Unveiled

Logo and Theme 

The theme of the Games is "Rising Together", signifying the coming of age for Southeast Asia as a community. The region has come a long way in making its mark on the global stage and this is a time for us to come together to write the next chapter in our collective journey of peace, progress, and prosperity. With Kuala Lumpur 2017 being the first SEA Games after the formation of the ASEAN Community, sports will play a big role in bringing all the citizens of Southeast Asia together in celebrating our achievements and commitment towards sportsmanship, as well as uplifting and inspiring the entire region.

The logo is based on the famous Malaysian symbol which is the Wau Bulan, a type of moon-kite synonymous with the east coast states of the country. Graceful, beautiful, powerful and rising high above, the Wau establishes itself as something that could uniquely represent the transcendent power of sports. The system of a combination of stripes and shards of colour is collated from the flags of all Southeast Asian countries to create the Kuala Lumpur 2017 identity.
 

Mascot

To personify and embody the spirit of the Games, there needs to be a mascot which is memorable and eye-catching. For Kuala Lumpur 2017, our mascot is a graceful and powerful Malayan Tiger. He is gracious, friendly, competitive and athletic. Most importantly, he is a true athlete.

His name is RIMAU.

Which stands for Respect ,Integrity, Move, Attitude & Unity.

Respect
Respect your opponents , the officials and the fans. Uphold the virtues of the games.

Integrity
Honesty in respecting the code of ethics of the games and the values that embodies it.
Move

Faster , higher , stronger. Push the limit and break new barriers.

Attitude
Positivity, sportsmanship and friendship. Compete to win but win with honor.

Unity
Come together as one celebrating the true spirit of the games. 

Source: http://www.seagames2017.com.my/about.asp#hlogo

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We’ll get 8 golds in next SEA Games–PH wrestling association head

On the heels of successful runs in international competitions, Wrestling Association of the Philippines (WAP) president Alvin Aguilar says that in the next Southeast Asian Games, the country’s wrestling team will take home at least eight medals.

“There’s no other way. We need to shoot for the stars,” Aguilar said on Tuesday during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Pizza in Malate, Manila.

photo (c) Alvin Aguilar's Twitter account

WAP contingents took home three golds, six silvers and five bronzes in the Southeast Asian Cadets and Juniors Championship in Thailand, and followed it up with another strong showing in the Southeast Asian Senior Championship in Singapore, bagging four golds, seven silvers and two bronzes.

Aguilar beamed with pride with the way the Filipino wrestlers had fared in international competitions and said if only wrestling was included as a sport in the 2015 SEA Games, the delegation could have improved the medal output of the country.

“We had very good results in the international stage, but in the next SEA Games, we were assured that wrestling will once again be there,” he said.

Aguilar, who is also the president of Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC), also laid down the plans for WAP, including the strengthening of the grassroots program for the sport by introducing wrestling to public schools.

“We’re going to have tie-ups with DepEd (Department of Education) to start wrestling seminars. We also want to educate public school teachers to teach wrestling to the youth,” he said.

Aguilar also welcomed the possibility of former UFC middleweight contender Mark Muñoz boosting the country’s wrestling program, saying, “Mark is always welcome. All the help is welcome. There’s so many talented wrestlers abroad. We need as much help as we can get. If Mark can go, he’s very, very welcome.”

Source: Randolph Leongson of Inquirer.net

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Michael Martinez eyeing gold when figure skating makes SEA Games debut in 2017

THE Philippines has a chance to assert its regional dominance in figure skating after Olympian Michael Martinez committed to compete in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games to be held in Kuala Lumpur.

“Aside from the international tournaments lined up next year, I will also be competing in the 2016 National Championships. If I make it through, it would be an honor to represent the Philippines in the 2017 SEA Games, in hopes to win the gold medal for our country”, said Martinez, the first skater from Southeast Asia and from a country in the tropical zone to qualify for the Olympics.

Figure skating and ice hockey will make their debut in the SEA Games in Malaysia.

Fresh from his second straight gold medal performance at the international Triglav Trophy in Slovenia, Martinez said he had been honing his skills by practicing six hours, six times a week on the ice and perfecting the technical elements of his jumps, glides, and spins under the supervision of his Russian, British, and American coaches.

He also inserts an hour each day for off-ice strength training, and another hour for choreography and dance.  

The teenaged phenom from Muntinlupa City arrived in the country last Sunday for a 10-day break before returning to the US to continue his overseas training that takes up roughly 10 months in a year.

Michael’s mother Teresa, said competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea is still her son’s ultimate goal, with giant mall chain SM again sponsoring and defraying the considerable amount being spent for Martinez’ training.

When asked whether government has provided assistance to the Michael’s effort,  the elder Martinez said the last time they received financial assistance was the per diem allowance given them during the Sochi Games.

The 18-year old figure skating star gave invited members of the media a glimpse of his current five-minute program performed to the tune of Romeo and Juliet at the SM Skating Rink in Megamall.

Martinez graciously allowed selfies and signed autographs for the crowd at hand after his routine, while members of his fans' club gave his mother a bouquet of flowers in honor of her approaching birthday.  

The next seven months will be challenging ones for the Filipino skater who will compete in seven tournaments in the US, Asia and Europe in order to hike his world ranking which is currently at 33rd after a high of 29th.

Michael's schedule is as follows:

July 10-12, 2015	Los Angeles Open Championship	California, USA
July 23-25, 2015	Skate Detroit	Michigan, USA
August 5-8, 2015	Asian Trophy	Bangkok, Thailand
September 16-29, 2015	USA Classic	Utah, USA
October 8-11, 2015	Filandia Trophy	Espoo, Finland
November 6-8, 2015	Grand Prix Cup of China	Beijing, China
December 9-12, 2015	Golden Spring of Zagreb	Zagreb, Croatia

Coming from a country outside the usual ice circuits, Teresa said her son has to take part double the average number of tournaments, which increases the chances of injuries.

“He’s eyeing the next Olympics. Yung injuries nandyan na iyan e. Every skater suffers repetitive injuries. It’s really difficult. They have to jump high, land on one foot on a very thin blade on very slippery ice. Before we returned, one of his training mates suffered an injury and they had to call 911— ang sama ng bagsak niya and naupuan niya yung ankle niya. Ganun ka-risky,” she said.

Source: Rhoel V. Fernandez of Spin.ph

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