SEA Games sports

This is a list of sports played in the biennial Southeast Asian Games. Unlike the Olympic games, there are no official limits to the number of sports which may be contested, and the range may be decided by the organising host pending approval by the Southeast Asian Games Federation. Albeit for some core sports which must be featured, the host is also free to introduce other sports. Over time, this has meant as much as 43 sports in the 24th edition of the games, and the programme has included relatively obscure sports such as arnis, finswimming and pétanque.

In the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, medals in 56 different sports were contested—the most in its history.

History

The Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, as the Southeast Asian Games was then known, was first held in Bangkok in 1959 with 12 sports, namely aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, shooting, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, and weightlifting.[1]

SEAGF Charter and Rules

Before and up to 2023, the SEAGF Charter and Rules dictated that the following sports be on the program:[2]

  • Minimum of 22 sports
    • Category 1: Aquatics and Athletics
    • Category 2 (at least 14): Sports at the Olympic and Asian Games
    • Category 3 (up to 8): Regional/Traditional sports

In 2023, the charter was modified to specify the following:[3]

  • Minimum of 36 sports
    • Category 1A: Aquatics and Athletics
    • Category 1B (at least 10): Sports at the Summer Olympic Games
    • Category 2 (at least 10): Sports at the:
      • Olympic Games (summer/winter)
      • Asian Games
      • Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
    • Category 3 (up to 4): Regional/Traditional sports

Sports

The following sports (or disciplines of a sport) are part of the current program or were contested before, and are listed alphabetically according to the name used by the IOC. The figures in each cell indicate the number of events for each sport contested at the respective Games; a bullet (•) denotes that the sport was contested as a demonstration sport. A "Y" is used to indicate that a sport was played, but the number of events is not yet established. An "X" is used to indicate a sport that is set to be included in a future event.

Twelve of the sports (Aquatics, baseball and softball, basketball, cycling, equestrian, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, volleyball, winter sports, and wrestling) consist of multiple disciplines. Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same colour:

  Aquatics –   Baseball and softball –   Basketball –   Cycling –   Equestrian –   Football –   Gymnastics –   Volleyball –   Winter sports –   Wrestling

Sport (Discipline) Body 59 61 65 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 09 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
 
Diving WAquatics 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Y Y Y Y Y 8 10 10 8 8 8 8 13 4 8 4 4
Open water swimming 4 1 3
Swimming 6 13 24 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 32 32 32 32 38 32 38 40 38 40 39 38
Artistic swimming Y 5 3 5 3
Water polo 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
 

Archery

WArchery 12 12 12 12 12 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
Arnis WEKAF • 6 20 12
Athletics WAthletics 28 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 45 42 45 45 46 47 46 45 48 45 47 43
Badminton BWF 2 5 7 5 5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 7 8 7
 
Baseball WBSC 1 1 1 1 1
Softball 2 2 1 2 2 2
Baseball5 1
 
3x3 Basketball FIBA 2 2 2 2
Basketball 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
 
Billiards and snooker WCBS Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 12 13 12 10 10 12 10 7 10 10 10 10
Bodybuilding IFBB 8 6 5 5 10
Bowling IBF 10 11 10 10 11 9 6 6
Boxing IBA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 9 14 17 15 14 14 11 6 13 13 16 17
Bridge WBF 9
Canoeing (sprint) ICF 15 7 12 15 16 17 7 11 12
Canoeing (slalom) 2
Chess FIDE 8 8 9 18 5 10 8
Cricket ICC 3 8 4
Ouk chaktrang 7
Xiangqi WXF 4 4
 
BMX UCI 2 2 2 3 2
Mountain biking 4 4 4 4 5 4 4 5 3
Road cycling 3 3 10 13 8 Y 5 4 4 5 6 6 5 6 8 4 7
Track cycling 3 11 7 13 5
 
Aquathlon WTriathlon 3 3
Duathlon 2 3 2 3
Triathlon 2 2 2 2 3 4 2 5
Dancesport WDSF 2 10 14 12 2
E-sports GEF 6 10 9 6
 
Dressage FEI 2 2 2 2 2 2
Endurance 2
Eventing 2 2 2 2
Jumping 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
 
Fencing FIE 10 12 12 12 12 6 12 12 12 12
Finswimming CMAS 16 16 16 13 24
Floorball IFF • 2 2 2 2
 
Football FIFA 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
Futsal 2 2 2 2 2 2
Beach Soccer 1
 
Golf IGF 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
 
Artistic FIG 14 13 13 14 14 12 12 14 8 10
Rhythmic 6 5 6 1 2 8 5 2 4
Aerobic 4 4 4 2 3 5 5 2
 
Handball (indoor) IHF 2 2 2 2
Handball (beach) 2 2 1 1
Field hockey FIH 2 2 2 2 2 2
Indoor hockey 2 2 2 2
Hockey5s 2
Jet ski UIM 6 6
Judo IJF 16 8 16 18 16 18 12 6 16 13 13 12
Ju-jitsu JJIF 11 6 13 18
Kabaddi IKF 6
Karate WKF 19 18 18 17 16 17 16 13 15 17 15
Kenpō IKF 16 18
Kickboxing WAKO 8 12 17 8
Kun bokator 21
Kun khmer 19
Kurash IKA 10 10
Lawn bowls WBowls 6 8 6
Modern pentathlon UIPM 6 6
Muay thai IFMA 7 11 13 14 5 9 11 18
Netball WNetball 1 1 1 1 1
Obstacle race FISO 6 4
Paragliding FAI 12 •
Pencak silat

IPSF 22 13 17 18 15 13 13 20 9 16 22 13
Pétanque FIPJP 6 4 9 11 6 11 10 7 4 8 11 11
Polo FIP 1 1 1 2
Roller speed skating WS 12
Rowing WRowing 8 9 11 11 9 18 6 16 10
Rugby sevens WRugby 2 2 2 2
Rugby union 1 1 1 2
Sailing WSailing 12 17 9 13 20 14 11 9 13
Sambo FIAS 7
Sepak takraw ISTAF 4 4 6 6 6 8 6 8 4 8 8 7
Hoop 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Chinlone 8 4 4 11 2
Shooting ISSF Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 42 22 33 34 14 12 26 14 14 22 30
Shuttlecock ISF 7 7
Skateboarding WSkate 8 4
Soft tennis ISTF 7 3 7
Sport climbing IFSC 10 6
Squash WSF 2 1 5 9 5 4
Surfing ISA 4
Table tennis ITTF 1 1 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Y Y Y Y Y 7 7 7 7 5 4 7 7 4 7 7 7
Taekwondo WTaekwondo 16 16 16 21 21 21 15 16 22 19 24 20
Tennis ITF Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 5 7 7 7
Teqball FITEQ • 5
Traditional boat race IDBF 4 4 4 6 4 10 17 8 6 13 6
Tug of war TWIF •
Ultimate WFDF •
Underwater hockey CMAS 4
 
Volleyball (indoor) FIVB 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Volleyball (beach) 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
 
Waterskiing IWaterskiWakeboardF Y Y 11 11 11 5 4
Weightlifting IWeightliftingF 13 10 13 13 14 11 5 10 14 14 14
 
Ice hockey IIHF 1 1 2
Figure skating ISU 2 2 2
Short track speed skating 6 6 7
 
Woodball IWoodballF 6
 
Freestyle UWW Y 5 9 10 10 14 18 20 8
Greco-roman Y 5 9 10 10 14 10 4
 
Wushu IWUF 14 14 19 20 28 22 14 21 20 23 20 17 16 21 22 14
Vovinam WVVF 14 18 15 30
Total events 442 443 475 372 543 461 402 404 529 523 580 569

Non-Olympic sports

The SEA Games features numerous non-Olympic sports in its programme, reflecting the popularity of some sports to the region, or as a means of introducing more obscure sports to the region and beyond.[4] Some sports dropped from the Olympic programme may still be retained in the SEAG, although the games does not feature all of the Olympic sports, often in favour of the traditional ones.[5]

Sport Introduced Remarks
Billiards and snooker 1987 (Indonesia) Also in Asian Games, East Asian Games
Bodybuilding 1987 (Indonesia) Also in Asian Games
Bowling 1975 (Thailand) Also in Asian Games, Asian Youth Games, East Asian Games, Pan American Games, Special Olympics World Games, West Asian Games, World Games
Chess 2003 (Vietnam) Also in Asian Games
Dancesport 2005 (Philippines) Former Olympic sport (breaking only), also in Asian Games, East Asian Games
E-sports 2019 (Philippines) Also in Asian Games
Finswimming 2003 (Vietnam)
Futsal 2007 (Thailand) Also in Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Karate 1987 (Indonesia) Former Olympic sport, also in Asian Games, East Asian Games, South Asian Games, West Asian Games
Lawn bowls 1999 (Brunei)
Pétanque 2001 (Malaysia)
Polo 2007 (Thailand) Former Olympic sport
Rugby union 1967 (Thailand) Former Olympic sport, also in Asian Games, East Asian Games
Softball 1979 (Indonesia) Former Olympic sport, also in Asian Games, Pan American Games
Squash 1991 (Philippines) To be an Olympic sport, also in Asian Games, East Asian Games, South Asian Games, West Asian Games, Pan American Games
Traditional boat race 1993 (Singapore) Also in Asian Games, Asian Beach Games, East Asian Games
Waterskiing 1987 (Indonesia) Also in Asian Beach Games, Pan American Games
Wushu 1991 (Philippines) Also in Asian Games, East Asian Games, South Asian Games

Traditional sports

Sport Common in Introduced Remarks
Arnis Philippines 1991 (Philippines) Unique to SEAG
Chinlone Myanmar 2013 (Myanmar) Unique to SEAG
Muay thai Thailand 2005 (Philippines) Unique to SEAG
Pencak silat Indonesia 1987 (Indonesia) Unique to SEAG
Sepak takraw Throughout Southeast Asia 1965 (Malaysia) Also in Asian Games
Shuttlecock Malaysia and Vietnam 2003 (Vietnam) Unique to SEAG
Vovinam Vietnam 2011 (Indonesia) Unique to SEAG

References

  1. ^ "Olympic Council of Asia - ocasia.asia". OCASIA. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018.
  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. ^ Lee, David (17 May 2023). "SEA Games sports programme to be standardised from 2025 to 2029". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
  4. ^ "AFP: Lesser-known sports grab spotlight at SEA Games". Google News. Archived from the original on 6 February 2013.
  5. ^ "Southeast Asian Games open with song, dance in Laos – Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 10 December 2009. Archived from the original on 14 December 2009.