Information Technology is the nerve centre of any sporting event, especially when it comes to multi-sports events like the SEA Games.
Quite a number of previous host of the SEA Games were let down by the poor implementation and integration of this crucial aspect.
And it looks like the Phillipines SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) have not learned from the mistakes of the previous organisers. They have left it to almost the eleventh hour to set the IT system in place for the SEA Games.
A Filipino-Malaysian joint venture was awarded a P388 Million contract only on October 11 to supply the Southeast Asian Games Information System or SEAGIS. That was just seven weeks before SEA Games, which offers 531 events in 56 sports, is officially scheduled to be open on November 30.
Some events are scheduled to start much earlier. Polo is the first sports to kick off on Nov 24, while netball, football and netball would start their competitions the following day.
This further cuts the time needed for a fully operational and immensely vital SEAGIS to be put in place.
Can this be done on time, or is it going a repeat of the KL SEA Games debacle?
There were plenty of problem with the results systems during the KL Games as it was not fully resolved or integrated even by the end of the Games.
The awarding of the contract by PHISGOC itself has been mired by controversy with IT firm Atos Philippines Inc. seeking a restraining order on it last month.
It had claimed that it had won the bid in January this year and had spent close to USD3 million in carrying out its task.
The company, a global business unit of the Atos Group, has handled the information system service of major sporting events, including the Olympics, the Asian Games, and the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore without any issues.
In February, PHISGOC had signed a MOU with the firm. PHISGOC chairman Alan Peter Cayetano was the signatory with former Philippines Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Ricky Vargas and PhIlippines Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez witnessing the signing ceremony.
Ramirez has taken the expected way out of the controversy by claiming he was not a signatory in the MOU while current POC president Bambol Tolentino has also denied any involvement in the transaction.
The firm’s legal action was denied by the Filipino courts last week, in what can been deemed on technicality.
Judge Josefina Siscar, who presided the case, in her order said that the documents presented by Atos showed that the deal supposedly awarded to it was “conditional and contingent in character.
It was decided that it was still subject to the execution and signing of a legally binding agreement.
However, a Nov 12 court date was set to also hear the respondents’ arguments on Atos’ petition for a writ of preliminary injunction.
Filipino based media ABS-CBN had reported claims by Atos that PHISGOC had already used and signed off several services that rolled out earlier this. It included the live system operation, game management system, result distribution system and integration, timing, scoring and results, infrastructure and venue inspections; and project management services.
Atos has also claimed that PHISGOC had already registered 13,000 participants from the 11 participating countries in its accreditation system and has 2,200 entries across all sports in its live system operation.
Atos had claimed that on August 23 PHISGOC had asked Atos to hold off any shipments – particularly the equipment from Peru – “until they have all the information and procedures in place.”
This was followed by the announcement of the new winning bid. Atos had claimed that it also entered in the new bidding “to preserve its remedies”. However, Atos was disqualified on Sept 17.
L.C. Ting Construction of the Philippines which formed the joint venture with Malaysia’s WSL-MSC won the controversial bid.
WSL-MSC, for clarity, are the same company that failed to deliver a fail proof system for the KL SEA Games two years ago, that too with a bigger lead time than what the group has in Manila this time.
While the Malaysian outfit has some experience in such events, L.C. Ting has no previous experience in the job. They are primarily involved in construction as well as mining and shipping.
With a number of the competition venues still not ready and crucial equipment yet to arrive the problem is further compounded. It is also learnt that the network infrastructure, a crucial component for effective communication, is also not fully in place.
With time running out and the chances of fully testing the system looking almost impossible, the actual Games may just be the avenue to see whether the decision by PHISGOC in the matter was prudent
But the fact remains that multi-sports hosts need to look into the implementation of the Information Technology more professionally and on time. Hopefully the next organisers of the SEA Games, Vietnam take a leaf out of past controversies and do a better job in delivering a problem free Games.
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