CEBU - The Queen City of the South is ready and rarings to host the 23 rd Southeast Asian Games.

The assurance was made by Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) sports operation chairman Richie Garcia with less than a week left before the province hosts six of the 40 sports events at stake in the meet set Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.

Cebu is staging the combat sports of karatedo, judo, pencak silat, dance sport, mountain bike and sepak takraw.

"As far as preparations are concerned, Cebu is very much ready," said Garcia. "All the equipment needed are now in Manila and shipments of it like the different gadgets, time clock and everything concerning the six events to be held here will be arriving anytime now."

The mats to be used in pencak silat, karatedo and judo, Garcia added, are arriving in the coliseums of Cebu and Mandaue this weekend.

Meanwhile, the bicycles to be used in Danao for the mountain bike event is likewise already in Manila .

Other venues like the Waterfront Hotel, where dance sport will be held, is also ready, ditto with the University of San Carlos where sepak takraw is going to be played.

"We just need minor refurbishing before Cebu makes the green light," Garcia said.

Promotions and advertisements of the SEA Games here are also now in full swing.

"There are lots of streamers and giant billboards here so you can see how our people are determined to host the six sports in the biennial meet," he noted.

Cebusoc chairman Jonathan Guardo meanwhile, predicted that the Filipino athletes competing here will snare 20 of the 23 gold medals at stake in all the six events.

"We can think positive and we're expecting karatedo would be the first one to win a gold medal," he said.

SEA GAMES PHILIPPINES [http://www.2005seagames.com.ph/]