SEA Games

SEA Games, officially known as the South East Asian Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supervision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

SEA Games
The Southeast Asian Games Federation logo
The South East Asian Games Federation Flag
AbbreviationSEAG
First event1959 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games in Bangkok, Thailand
Occur every2 years (every odd year)
Next event2025 Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla, Thailand
PurposeMulti sport event for nations on the Southeast Asian subcontinent
HeadquartersBangkok, Thailand
PresidentCharouck Arirachakaran

The SEA Games is one of the five subregional Games of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).[1]

History

The SEA Games owes its origins to the South East Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games (abbreviated as SEAPG). On 22 May 1958, delegates from the countries in Southeast Asian Peninsula attending the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sports organization. The SEAP Games was conceptualized by Luang Sukhum Nayapradit, then vice-president of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote co-operation, understanding, and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Six countries, Burma (now Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Malaya (now Malaysia), Thailand and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) were the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biennially in June 1959 and the SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed thereafter.[2]

The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12 to 17 December 1959, with more than 527 athletes and officials from 6 countries; Burma (now Myanmar), Laos, Malaya, Singapore, South Vietnam and Thailand participated in 12 sports.

At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the inclusion of Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines. These countries were formally admitted in 1977, the same year when SEAP Federation changed their name to the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. Despite its location closer to the Pacific archipelago than the Asian continent and not being a member of ASEAN, East Timor was admitted at the 22nd SEA Games in 2003 Hanoi–Ho Chi Minh City.

The 2009 SEA Games was the first time Laos has ever hosted a SEA Games (Laos had previously declined to host the 1965 SEAP Games citing financial difficulties). Running from 9–18 December, it has also commemorated the 50 years of the SEA Games, held in Vientiane, Laos. The 2023 SEA Games, held from 5–17 May, was the first time Cambodia has ever hosted a SEA Games (Cambodia was awarded the 1963 SEAP Games, which was cancelled due to domestic political situation).

Symbol

The Southeast Asian Games symbol was introduced during the 1959 SEAP Games in Bangkok, depicting six rings that represent the six founding members and was used until the 1997 edition in Jakarta. The number of rings increased to 10 during the 1999 edition in Brunei to reflect the inclusion of Singapore, which was admitted into the Southeast Asian Games Federation in 1961, and Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which joined the organization in 1977. The number of rings was again increased to 11 during the 2011 Games in Indonesia to reflect the federation's newest member, East Timor, which was admitted in 2003.

Participating NOCs
NOC NamesDebutedIOC codeOther codes used
 Brunei1977BRUBRN (ISO)
 Cambodia1961CAMKHM (1972–1976, ISO)
 Indonesia1977INAIHO (1952), IDN (FIFA, ISO)
 Laos1959LAO
 Malaysia1959MASMAL (1952−1988), MYS (ISO)
 Myanmar1959MYABIR (1948–1988), MMR (ISO)
 Philippines1977PHIPHL (ISO)
 Singapore1959SGPSIN (1959–2016)
 Thailand1959THA
 East Timor2003TLSIOA (2000)
 Vietnam1959[lower-alpha 1]VIEVET (1964), VNM (1968–1976, ISO)
  1. While  South Vietnam competed from 1959–1973,  North Vietnam never competed. Unified  Vietnam has competed since 1989.

List of Southeast Asian Games
Main article: List of Southeast Asian Games host cities

Since the SEA Games began in 1959, it has been held in 15 cities across all Southeast Asian countries except East Timor.

Location of the Southeast Asian Games host
List of Southeast Asian Games
Games Year Host cities Opened by[lower-alpha 1] Date Sports Events Nations Competitors Top-ranked team Ref
Southeast Asian Peninsular Games
1 1959 Thailand Bangkok, Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej 12–17 December 1959 12 67 6 518  Thailand (THA)
2 1961 Myanmar Yangon, Burma President Win Maung 11–16 December 1961 13 86 7 623  Burma (BIR)
1963 Awarded to Cambodia, cancelled due to domestic political situation
3 1965 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ismail Nasiruddin 14–21 December 1965 14 134 7 963  Thailand (THA)
4 1967 Thailand Bangkok, Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej 9–16 December 1967 16 144 6 984
5 1969 Myanmar Yangon, Burma Prime Minister Ne Win 6–13 December 1969 15 145 6 920  Burma (BIR)
6 1971 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdul Halim 6–13 December 1971 15 156 7 957  Thailand (THA)
7 1973 Singapore Singapore President Benjamin Sheares 1–8 September 1973 16 161 7 1632
8 1975 Thailand Bangkok, Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej 9–16 December 1975 18 172 4 1142
Southeast Asian Games
9 1977 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Yahya Petra 19–26 November 1977 18 188 7 N/A  Indonesia (INA)
10 1979 Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia President Soeharto 21–30 September 1979 18 226 7 N/A
11 1981 Philippines Manila, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos 6–15 December 1981 18 245 7 ≈1800
12 1983 Singapore Singapore President Devan Nair 28 May – 6 June 1983 18 233 8 N/A
13 1985 Thailand Bangkok, Thailand King Bhumibol Adulyadej 8–17 December 1985 18 251 8 N/A  Thailand (THA)
14 1987 Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia President Soeharto 9–20 September 1987 26 372 8 N/A  Indonesia (INA)
15 1989 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Azlan Shah 20–31 August 1989 24 302 9 ≈2800
16 1991 Philippines Manila, Philippines President Corazon Aquino 24 November – 3 December 1991 28 327 9 N/A
17 1993 Singapore Singapore President Wee Kim Wee 12–20 June 1993 29 318 9 ≈3000
18 1995 Thailand Chiang Mai, Thailand Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn [lower-alpha 2] 9–17 December 1995 28 335 10 3262  Thailand (THA)
19 1997 Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia President Soeharto 11–19 October 1997 36 490 10 5179  Indonesia (INA)
20 1999 Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 7–15 August 1999 21 233 10 2365  Thailand (THA)
21 2001 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Salahuddin 8–17 September 2001 32 391 10 4165  Malaysia (MAS)
22 2003 Vietnam Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải [lower-alpha 3] 5–13 December 2003 32 442 11 ≈5000  Vietnam (VIE)
23 2005 Philippines Manila, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo 27 November – 5 December 2005 40 443 11 5336  Philippines (PHI)
24 2007 Thailand Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn [lower-alpha 2] 6–15 December 2007 43 475 11 5282  Thailand (THA)
25 2009 Laos Vientiane, Laos President Choummaly Sayasone 9–18 December 2009 29 372 11 3100
26 2011 Indonesia Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono 11–22 November 2011 44 545 11 5965  Indonesia (INA)
27 2013 Myanmar Naypyidaw, Myanmar Vice President Nyan Tun [lower-alpha 4] 11–22 December 2013 37 460 11 4730  Thailand (THA)
28 2015 Singapore Singapore President Tony Tan 5–16 June 2015 36 402 11 4370
29 2017 Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V 19–30 August 2017 38 404 11 4709  Malaysia (MAS)
30 2019 Philippines Philippines[lower-alpha 5] President Rodrigo Duterte 30 November – 11 December 2019 56 530 11 5630  Philippines (PHI)
31 2021 Vietnam Hanoi, Vietnam[lower-alpha 6] President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc 12–23 May 2022 40 523 11 5467  Vietnam (VIE)
32 2023 Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen [lower-alpha 7] 5–17 May 2023 37 584 11 6210
33 2025 Thailand Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla, Thailand King Vajiralongkorn (expected) 9–20 December 2025 Future event
34 2027 Malaysia Malaysia[3] Future event
35 2029 Singapore Singapore[4] Future event
36 2031 Laos Laos[5] Future event
37 2033 Philippines Philippines[5] Future event
  1. Names & offices in italics reflect an opener who was not head of state when opening the Games. If the office is partially italicized, the non-italicized portion is the office & name of the head of state being represented.
  2. Representing his father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand.
  3. Representing Trần Đức Lương, President of Vietnam.
  4. Representing Thein Sein, President of Myanmar.
  5. The 2019 Southeast Asian Games was officially decentralized. Events were held in various cities around the Philippines, mostly in the Clark City, the Metro Manila region, and the Subic Bay areas, however there was no single designated host city. The games were known as "Philippines 2019".
  6. Many events were held in various cities over the country to give support to the Hanoi, who was the main host of the event. Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were delayed to May 2022.
  7. Representing Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.

The 1963 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games were canceled. As the designated host, Cambodia was not able to host the event due to instability in the country, along with a disagreement with the International Amateur Athletic Federation. The 3rd SEAP Games then passed to Laos as hosts, but they begged off the 1965 event citing financial difficulties.[6]

Sports
Main article: SEA Games sports

According to the SEAGF Charter and Rules, a host nation must stage a minimum of 22 sports: the two compulsory sports from Category 1 (athletics and aquatics), in addition to a minimum of 14 sports from Category 2 (Olympics and Asian Games mandatory sports), and a maximum of 8 sports from Category 3. Each sport shall not offer more than 5% of the total medal tally, except for athletics, aquatics and shooting (the shot was elevated for this category in 2013). For each sport and event to be included, a minimum of four countries must participate in it. Sports competed in the Olympic Games and Asian Games must be given priority.[2][7]

In 2023, the charter was modified, bringing the number of minimum sports a host must stage up to 36. The compulsory Category 1 now comprises two subcategories: 1A, which consists of aquatics and athletics, and 1B, a minimum of 10 Olympic sports from the Summer Olympic Games. Under Category 2, the host must include a minimum of 10 other sports from the Olympic Games (summer/winter), Asian Games, and Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games. Category 3 is now capped at a maximum of four sports.[8][9] The first games with the new charter in effect will be held in 2025.[10]

List of SEA Games sports
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3
1A 1B Olympic sports Asian Games / AIMAG sports Traditional[lower-alpha 1] Other[lower-alpha 2]
Athletics Archery
1977–1997, 2001–2021		 Billiards and snooker
Since 1987		 Arnis
1991, 2005, 2019, 2023		 Aquathlon
2023
Diving
Since 1965		 Badminton Bodybuilding
1987–1993, 1997, 2003–2007, 2013, 2021		 Bokator
2023		 Beach handball
2019–2021
Synchronized swimming
2001, 2011, 2015–2017		 Baseball
2005–2007, 2011, 2019		 Bowling
1977–1979, 1983–2001, 2005–2007, 2011, 2015–2021		 Chinlone
2013		 Contract bridge
2011
Swimming Basketball
1979–2003, 2007, since 2011		 Chess
2003–2005, 2011–2013, since 2019		 Muay Thai
2005–2009, 2013, 2019–2021		 Duathlon
Since 2019
Water polo
1965–2019, 2023		 Boxing Cricket
2017, 2023		 Traditional boat race
1993, 1997–1999, 2003–2007, 2011–2015, 2023		 Lawn bowls
1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2017–2019
Canoeing
1985, 1995, 2001, 2005–2007, 2011–2015, 2019–2021		 Dancesport
2005–2009, since 2019		 Kenpō
2011–2013		 Obstacle racing
2019, 2023
Cycling
1959–1979, since 1983		 Esports
Since 2019		 Kun Khmer
2023		 Polo
2007, 2017–2019
Equestrian
1983, 1995, 2001, 2005–2007, 2011–2017		 Finswimming
2003, 2009–2011, since 2021		 Waterskiing
1987, 1997, 2011, 2015–2019
Fencing
2003–2007, 2011, since 2015		 Floorball
2015, 2019, 2023
Field hockey
1971–1979, 1983, 1987–1989, 1993–2001, 2007, 2013–2017, 2023		 Futsal
2007, 2011–2013, 2017, 2021
Football Indoor hockey
2017–2019, 2023
Golf
1985–1997, 2001, since 2005		 Ju-jitsu
Since 2019
Gymnastics
1979–1981, 1985–1997, 2001–2007, 2011, since 2015		 Kickboxing
Since 2019
Handball
2005–2007, 2021		 Kurash
2019–2021
Judo
1967–1997, since 2001		 Netball
2001, 2015–2019
Karate
1985–1991, 1995–1997, 2001–2013, since 2017		 Paragliding
2011
Modern pentathlon
2019		 Pencak silat
1987–1989, 1993–1997, since 2001
Rowing
1989–1991, 1997, 2001–2007, 2011–2015, since 2019		 Pétanque
Since 2001
Rugby sevens
2015–2019		 Roller sports
2011
Sailing
1961, 1967–1971, 1975–1977, 1983–1997, 2001, 2005–2007, 2011–2019, 2023		 Rugby union
1969, 1977–1979, 1995, 2007
Shooting
1959–2021		 Sambo
2019
Skateboarding
2019		 Sepak takraw
1967–1969, since 1973
Softball
1981–1983, 1989, 2003–2005,
2011, 2015, 2019		 Shuttle cock
2007–2009
Competition climbing
2011		 Soft tennis
2011, 2019, 2023
Surfing
2019		 Squash
1991–2001, 2005–2007, 2015–2019
Table tennis Vovinam
2011–2013, since 2021
Taekwondo
Since 1985		 Wushu
1991–1993, 1997, since 2001
Tennis
1959–2011, since 2015		 Xiangqi
Since 2021
Triathlon
2005–2007, since 2015
Volleyball
1959–1997, since 2001
Weightlifting
1959–1997, 2001–2013, since 2017
Wrestling
1987, 1997, 2003–2013, since 2019
Figure skating
2017–2019
Ice hockey
2017–2019
Short track speed skating
2017–2019
  1. Traditional or regional sports that are not part of Asian Games nor Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games.
  2. Sports that previously appeared in some SEA Games editions but are not an Olympic, Asian Games, nor Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games sport.

All-time medal table

Corrected after balancing the data of the Olympic Council of Asia and other archived sites which had kept the previous Southeast Asian Games medal tables. Some information from the aforementioned sites are missing, incorrect and or not updated.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

All-time Southeast Asian Games medal table
RankNOCGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Thailand (THA)2453212722046784
2 Indonesia (INA)1980187619705826
3 Malaysia (MAS)[1]1376136318724611
4 Vietnam (VIE)[2]1269109712213587
5 Philippines (PHI)1180134617024228
6 Singapore (SGP)1045109015003635
7 Myanmar (MYA)[3]59478410952473
8 Cambodia (CAM)[4]159202425786
9 Laos (LAO)77122412611
10 Brunei (BRU)1757170244
11 East Timor (TLS)393951
Totals (11 entries)10153100731261032836
  • ^[1] Competed as Malaya in the inaugural games until 1961.
  • ^[2] The Republic of Vietnam was dissolved in July 1976 when it merged with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to become the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, also known as Vietnam. In the 1989 edition, a unified Vietnam rejoined the games with a new name and flag. Medals won by South Vietnam until 1975 and by Vietnam after 1989 are combined here.
  • ^[3] Competed as Burma until 1987.
  • ^[4] Competed as Kampuchea, and Khmer Republic.

List of multiple Southeast Asian Games medalists
Main article: List of multiple Southeast Asian Games medalists

Various individuals have won multiple medals at the Games, including the preceding Southeast Asian Peninsular Games.

As of 2019, Singaporean swimmer Joscelin Yeo has won the most Southeast Asian Games medals with 55 (40 gold, 12 silver, 3 bronze). She reached this milestone during the 2005 Games, overtaking the previous record of 39 gold medals set by another Singaporean swimmer Patricia Chan.

Criticism

One unique characteristic of the event is that there are no official limits to the number of sports and events to be contested, and the range can be decided by the organizing host pending approval by the Southeast Asian Games Federation. Aside from mandatory sports, the host is free to drop or introduce other sports or events (See SEA Games sports).[18] This leeway has resulted in hosts maximizing their medal hauls by dropping sports disadvantageous to themselves relative to their peers and the introduction of obscure sports, often at short notice, thus preventing most other nations from building credible opponents.[19][20][21] Several nations have called for amending the charter of the games to address the issue.[22][23] In 2023, the SEA Games charter was modified in an effort to make the number of sports in each edition more standardized, reducing the host's leeway to remove several sports, maximize medal hauls by introducing obscure local sports, and tamper with the competition's rules.[8][24]

See also

References
  1. Games page of the website of the Olympic Council of Asia; Archived 2010-12-11 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved 2010-07-09.
  2. "South East Asian Games Federation: Charter and Rules" (PDF). SEAGF. 30 May 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  3. "Malaysia to host 2027 SEA Games". The Star. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  4. "Singapore to host 2029 SEA Games". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. Cua, Aric John Sy (13 July 2022). "PH to host SEA Games in 2033". The Manila Times. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  6. "History of the SEA Games". www.olympic.org.my. Archived from the original on 17 December 2004. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  7. Ian De Cotta (5 June 2015). "A cool addition to the SEA Games". Today Online. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  8. Lee, David (17 May 2023). "SEA Games sports programme to be standardised from 2025 to 2029". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  9. "ยกเครื่องซีเกมส์! เลิกเน้นกีฬาพื้นบ้าน-เริ่มที่ไทยหนหน้า" [Overhaul the SEA Games! Stop focusing on local sports – start in Thailand next]. Naewna (in Thai). 5 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  10. Navarro, June (17 May 2023). "Bambol assurance: Drastic reduction of indigenous games in next SEA Games calendar". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  11. "South East Asian Games Medal Count". Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  12. SEAP Games Federation Archived 13 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Medal Tally 1959-1995
  14. Medal Tally
  15. History of the SEA Games
  16. SEA Games previous medal table
  17. SEA Games members
  18. Pattharapong Rattanasevee (21 July 2017). "Southeast Asian Games yet to win gold for sporting spirit". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017.
  19. Mariadass, Tony (24 November 2019). "Sea Games morphing into a monster-cum-circus". New Straits Times. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  20. Mariadass, Tony. "Sea Games reduced to a carnival". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  21. "The SEA Games Contain the Seeds of Their Own Irrelevance". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  22. "Indonesian NOC calls for amendment to Southeast Asian Games Federation Charter on sports programme". Inside the Games. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  23. ""พลตรีจารึก" เตรียมเสนอปรับธรรมนูญสหพันธ์กีฬาซีเกมส์". Thai PBS (in Thai). 13 March 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  24. Henson, Joaquin. "Bambol reveals new SEA Games order". Philstar.com. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
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