Go backs PH bid to host 2038 Asian Games

FRESH from watching Filipino athletes compete in the ongoing Asian Games, Sen. Bong Go said he is backing the Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC) plan to bid for the hosting of the 2038 edition, saying the country could use international competitions to boost tourism and create economic opportunities. Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, said hosting major sporting events would allow the Philippines to showcase its attractions to foreign visitors while generating income for local businesses. “It is important to link sports with tourism. When there is tourism and tourists arrive, it generates more income for our fellow citizens because we can better showcase the beauty of our country,” Go said in an ambush interview on Wednesday. His remarks came after POC president Abraham Tolentino said the organization was considering another bid to host the Asian Games, which the country last staged in Manila in 1954. Go cited the Philippines’ experience in hosting major international competitions, including the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, as an example of how sports could contribute to the tourism industry. “We’ve seen that when hosting is successful — like with the 2023 FIBA…