2013 SEA Games

Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand revealed their intentions to host the 2013 edition. However, since the latter three nations hosted the 2003, 2005 and 2007 editions, respectively, these countries were less favored to host this edition.[3][4]

Myanmar held the longest interval between hosting the games, spanning a time of 44 years.[5] The Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) Council met in Jakarta on 31 May 2010 unanimously agreed to award the Myanmar Olympic Committee the right to host the 27th edition of the games.[6] The official website of the Olympic Council of Asia also approved the fact that Myanmar would host the 27th Southeast Asian Games in its news launched on 7 June 2010.[7] ASEAN Football Federation (AFF)'s official website also announced that Myanmar would host the games.[8]

The Myanmar SEA Games Organising Committee (MYASOC) was formed to oversee the staging of the event.[9]

Yangon

Mandalay

Naypyidaw

Ngwesaung

Host cities

Nay Pyi Taw

Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium

Wunna Theikdi Sports Complex

• Main Stadium (Opening and Closing Ceremony, Athletics)
• Indoor Stadium (Badminton, Chinlone, Karate, Sepak takraw, Wushu, Taekwondo, Table tennis)
• Futsal Indoor Stadium (Futsal)
• Boxing Indoor Stadium (Boxing, Muay)
• Billiard & Snooker Indoor Stadium (Billiards and snooker)
• Aquatic Centre (Diving, Swimming)
• Equestrian Field (Equestrian)
• Games village (Petanque)
• Archery field (Archery)

Zayarthiri Sports Complex

• Main Stadium (Men's football)
• Indoor Stadium (Volleyball, Judo, Vovinam, Pencak Silat, Basketball)
• Swimming Pool (Water Polo)

Other venues

• Mount Pleasant (Cycling BMX, cross country, downhill)
• Ngalaik Dam (Canoeing, Rowing, Traditional Boat Race)
• Roads of Leway, Pyinmana, and Tatkon (Cycling – Road)
• Royal Myanmar Golf Course (Golf)
• Zabuthiri Hotel (Chess)

Yangon

Zayyarthiri Stadium in Nay Pyi Taw

Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon

• Thuwunna Stadium (Men's football)
• Thuwunna Indoor Stadium (Wrestling, Kenpō)
• Thein Pyu Stadium (Weightlifting)
• Hockey Field (Field Hockey)
• North Dagon Shooting Range (Shooting)
• Myanmar Convention Center (Bodybuilding)

Mandalay

• Mandalarthiri Stadium (Women's football)
  

  Mandalarthiri Stadium in Mandalay

Ngwesaung

• Ngwesaung Beach (Sailing)

As Naypyidaw was yet to be fully developed into a city, only shuttle bus services were provided throughout the games and were used to ferry athletes and officials to and from the airport, games venues and games village. The co-host cities of the games, Yangon, Mandalay and Ngwesaung also provided the same services during the games.

The official countdown to the games' opening ceremony began a year prior on 11 December 2012. The countdown clocks were located in Nay Pyi Taw and other cities in Myanmar that co-hosted the games.

The torch relay of the games began at Yangon's Thuwunna Indoor Stadium and ended in Nay Pyi Taw during the opening ceremony, covering a distance of 320 kilometres.[10][11]

The logo of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games is an image of the map of Myanmar. The Southeast Asian Games Federation logo at the tip of the logo, has eleven rings which resembling the 11 Southeast Asian countries and the Southeast Asian Games Federation. Yellow, green and red, the national colours on Myanmar's National Flag, represents Myanmar as the games' host nation. The yellow circle represents equality and fraternity, green color represents love of nature and the green economy, while the red color represents courage and hard working nature of Myanmar. The circular shape represents complete perfection and endless prosperity among the Southeast Asian countries.[12]

Shwe Yoe & Ma Moe, the official mascot

Mascot dolls

The official mascot of the 2013 Southeast Asian Games is a couple of owls named Shwe Yoe and Ma Moe. The owls are considered lucky charms in Burmese tradition. The owl is globally taken to be the wisest, calmest and balanced animal. But, in Myanmar, it is also taken to be auspicious and believed to bring forth luck and prosperity to the family, for which the owl dolls are kept at their homes as lucky charms.[12] The owl as the official mascot of Myanmar SEA Games 2013 has a personality: wise, calm, lucky, loyal, and friendly. The personality of an owl was intended to bring forth co-operation, friendship, and better understanding among the participating countries.[13] The mascots are named after a famous Burmese dance, U Shwe Yoe and Daw Moe.

Several songs,[14] including the theme of the games "Colourful Garden", were written by Lin Htet for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games.

27th SEA Games opening ceremony at Wunna Theikdi Stadium in Naypyidaw

The opening ceremony was held on 11 December 2013 at the Wunna Theikdi Stadium. It marked the nation's biggest sporting event since 1969. It was led with pre-launch entertainment and a series of screens beamed a dramatic lights show during the Chinese-backed extravaganza.

The ceremony began with fireworks displays at the stadium. The theme song "Colourful Garden" was performed during the flag-raising ceremony after performances made by 12,000 school children and the Myanmar Royal Auspicious Orchestra. Chairman of the 27th SEA Games Organising Committee, Vice-President Nyan Tun opened the Games with another explosion of colourful fireworks. The Games' torch was relayed by six former Burmese athletes before Aye Myint Kyu, the Union Minister for Culture, handed it to a Burmese archer where he lit up the Games cauldron by shooting an arrow into it.

A showcase of arts and culture about Burmese history was made, with dance performances accompanied the ending of the ceremony.[15]

The closing ceremony was held at Wunna Theikdi Stadium on 22 December 2013. It was started with an hour of music following the performance of "Colorful Garden", the theme song for the Games and subsequently, "Loyalty of Blood" was later presented by well-known artists May Sweet and Maykhala. The musical hors d'oeuvres concluded with all artists joining together in "Be Peaceful". President Thein Sein and his wife Khin Khin Win then entered the stadium, following which the Closing Ceremony was officially opened with pyrotechnic displays.

Four performances were presented with the first directly connected the SEA Games to Burmese tradition, celebrating the sport of chinlone, which is believed to have first appeared in Myanmar in the 5th century. It then followed with the "Elephant Dance" which about paying tribute to the elephants in Myanmar.

The Closing Ceremony then paid homage to the 135 officially recognised ethnic races diversity of the country with the performance of "Everlasting Myanmar", depicting the rich diversity of the population, and simultaneously the many obstacles on the path to realising a new, peaceful and prosperous modern state.

Medal winners of every participating countries were then paraded onto the stadium floor to the beat of martial music – chants of "Myanmar" ringing through the stadium.

With the procession complete, VP Nyan Tun officially announced the 27th SEA Games concluded, as strobe lights searched the sky and a cornucopia of fireworks exploded over the stadium.

After Myanmar handed over the SEA Games responsibilities to Singapore, host of the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, the Games ended with one last round of fireworks and round of musical performances.[16]

The 2013 SEA Games had 34 sports, fewer than the previous edition.[6] Beach volleyball and dancesport were omitted due to issues regarding uniforms.[35] Tennis and gymnastics, two Olympic sports, were not contested. Instead, chinlone and Shorinji Kempo took their places. In this edition of the Games, floorball was also contested as a demonstration sport.[36]

¹ – not an official Olympic sport.
² – sport played only at the SEAG.
³ – not a traditional Olympic nor SEAG Sport and introduced only by the host country.
° – a former official Olympic sport, not applied in previous host countries and was introduced only by the host country.
ʰ- sport not played at the previous edition and was reintroduced by the host country.

Timor Leste competed for the 6th time at the games and got their best finish as of 2022.

A total of 1531 medals, comprising 461 Gold medals, 459 Silver medals and 611 Bronze medals were awarded to athletes. The host Myanmar performance was their best to date and placed second overall amongst participating nations.

Medals of the games

[37][38][39]

For convenience, this is the official medal table of the 2013 SEA Games, not including the subsequent medal changes.

  *   Host nation (Myanmar)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Thailand	107	94	81	282
2	Myanmar*	86	62	85	233
3	Vietnam	73	86	86	245
4	Indonesia	65	84	111	260
5	Malaysia	43	38	77	158
6	Singapore	34	29	45	108
7	Philippines	29	34	38	101
8	Laos	13	17	49	79
9	Cambodia	8	11	28	47
10	East Timor	2	3	5	10
11	Brunei	1	1	6	8
Totals (11 entries)		461	459	611	1531

Medal change

In September 2014, Myanmar gold medalists Saw Marlar Nwe (athletics) and Min Zaw Oo (bodybuilding), along with Indonesian gold and silver medalist Indra Gunawan (swimming), tested positive for a banned drug and were stripped of their medals.[40][41][42][43]

Ruling date	Sport	Event	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
2013	Athletics	Women's 20 kilometres walk	Myanmar	–1	+1	–1	–1
			Vietnam	+1	−1		0
			Thailand			+1	+1
2013	Bodybuilding	80 kg	Myanmar	–1			–1
			Thailand	+1	−1		0
			Indonesia		+1	−1	0
			Malaysia			+1	+1
2014	Swimming	Men's 100 metre breaststroke	Indonesia		−1		–1
			Philippines		+1	−1	0
			Thailand			+1	+1
2014	Swimming	Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay	Indonesia	–1			–1
			Singapore	+1	−1		0
			Thailand		+1	−1	0
			Malaysia			+1	+1