2019 SEA Games official mascot unveiled, criticized

Like the logo of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the official mascot of the sports event also drew flak from netizens, according to a report by GMA News' Dano Tingcungco on Unang Balita on Monday.

On Friday, Philippine sports officials gathered at Clark Freeport in Pampanga to start the one-year countdown to the 2019 SEA Games, which will be hosted by the Philippines.

The controversial SEA Games logo, which had drawn flak for supposedly being too simple, was unveiled in the event, as well as the 2019 SEA Games official mascot Pami, which did not escape scrutiny from netizens.

Pami has been compared to rubber bands, Christmas balls, sago pearls stuck together and Filipino dessert bilo-bilo.

But according to 2019 SEA Games executive director Ramon Suzara, "Pami represents every nation, every athlete, every person coming together that support each other at the games. Of course it came from the word 'pamilya,' meaning, family. It's created from spheres, squishy balls, that is joyful."

The version of the logo used during the unveiling was noticeable better looking than the first one that circulated on the Internet, the report said.

Meanwhile, the SEA Games organizing committee said it respects and understands the criticism over the logo and the mascot.

"Iba na ngayon. Iba na ang sports. So we stand by it, and hope the people who are negative about the logo will later understand," Suzara said. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News