MANILA, 26 November 2005 — Southeast Asia’s version of the Olympics officially opens in the Philippines tomorrow amid threats of terrorism, bird flu and domestic political squabbling that had delayed preparations of venues for the events.

More than 7,000 officials, coaches, trainers and athletes from the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Timor are taking part in the biennial regional games, first hosted by Thailand in 1959.

“We’re ready for the Games,” William Ramirez, an official on the Philippines’ Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, told Reuters. “We’re still waiting for some of the equipment to come but we’re now doing the finishing touches on the venues.” The Philippines is hosting the regional games for the third time since joining the multi-sport event in 1977, known then as the South East Asian Peninsular Games.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will declare the games open in a colorful ceremony of Philippine folk dances, music and fireworks during the parade of athletes at Manila’s Luneta Park.

Up to 300,000 people are expected to attend when the symbolic torch is lit during the two-hour “fiesta” opening, guarded by 15,000 police officers and soldiers.

About 40 events will be held at 38 venues on three islands from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5. Men’s soccer and water polo matches began this week outside Manila.

Two days before the opening, dozens of workers were rushing to finish painting at Rizal Memorial Oval Stadium, where most of the athletics — the centerpiece event — will be held.

Some delegations, including the Indonesians, have complained venues for practicing were not ready and that there was little fanfare in Manila for the region’s biggest sporting event.

“Everything is falling into place despite the odds, including the lack of funding,” Jose Cojuangco, head of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, told reporters.

Security officials said they have adequate forces to thwart any attempt by Islamic and communist rebels to disrupt the games and embarrass the government.

“We’re not taking any chances,” said Vidal Querol, the police chief in the capital.

Authorities have also taken measures to prevent the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian influenza virus from entering the country, including disinfectant foot baths and thermal cameras to measure body temperature at Manila’s international airport.

Political turmoil that has hounded President Arroyo since early June may also have dampened local interest in the games.

Except for world-class competition in badminton, boxing and bowling, the standards of the rest of the events are likely to be below the calibre of regional games in other parts of the world, contributing to lower public enthusiasm.

“The development of sports in Southeast Asia has been lagging behind the rest of the world,” Michael Keon, a former head of the Philippine Olympic Committee, told Reuters.

Keon, who engineered a Philippine rise in athletics in the 1980s, said the low level of performances in the region reflected the relative lack of importance Southeast Asian governments placed on sports development.

“In the Philippines, for instance, there’s too much politics involved,” he said.

Feuds among Philippine sports officials led to basketball, the most popular team sport in the country, being dropped from this year’s Southeast Asian Games.

The competing nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and East Timor.