Southeast Asian Games

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

History

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games. On 22 May 1958, delegates from the countries in Southeast Asian peninsula attending the 3rd Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sport organization. The SEAP Games was conceptualized by Luang Sukhumnaipradit, then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote cooperation, understanding and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.

Thailand, Burma (now Myanmar), Malaya (now Malaysia), Laos, South Vietnam and Cambodia (with Singapore included thereafter) were the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biannually. The SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed.

The first SEAP Games were held in Bangkok from 12–17 December 1959 comprising more than 527 athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, South Vietnam and Laos participating 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 Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), and the games were known as the Southeast Asian Games. East Timor was admitted at the 22nd Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

The last games held was the incident free 2009 Southeast Asian Games which was the first time Laos has ever held a Southeast Asian Games (Laos had previously declined hosting the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games citing financial difficulties). Running from 9–18 December, it has also commemorated the 50 years of the Southeast Asian Games, held in Vientiane, Laos. The games commenced and progressed largely smoothly, however, praises and commendations were expressed by many athletes, sports officials and the press- Laos now joins the list of countries that have successfully hosted the South East Asian Games.

The next host for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games is Indonesia. Myanmar will host the 2013 Southeast Asian Games, while Singapore will host the 2015 Southeast Asian Games.

Participating Countries

Nation / IOC Designation	Debuted	IOC-Code	Notes
Cambodia	1959	CAM	-
Laos (IOC designation: Lao People's Democratic Republic)	1959	LAO	-
Malaysia	1959	MAS	-
Myanmar	1959	MYA	BIR 1948–1992
Singapore	1959	SIN	-
Thailand	1959	THA	-
Vietnam (IOC designation: Viet Nam)	1959	VIE	-
Brunei (IOC designation: Brunei Darussalam)	1977	BRU	-
Indonesia	1977	INA	IHO 1952 FIFA-code IDN
Philippines	1977	PHI	-
Timor-Leste	2003	TLS	IOA 2000