SEA Games sports explained

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 30th edition of the 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] All of these events are Olympic sports, and most are considered core sports which are compulsory in all editions of the games, but was most known as a simple way to pass time.

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.

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		FINA			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	X
Open water swimming																												4				1			X
			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	X
Synchronised swimming																							Y					5		3	5				X
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	X
		FITA									12	12	12	12	12	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	8	8	8	10	10	10	10	10	10		X
Arnis																		•							6							20		12
		IAAF	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	X
		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	X
		WBSC																							1	1		1				1
Softball																									2	2		1		2		2
		FIBA																														2	2	2	X
			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	X
		WCBS														Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12	13	12	10	10	12	10	7	10	10	10	X
Bodybuilding		IFBB																						8	6	5			5				10
Bowling		WB																							10	11		10		10	11	9	6
Boxing		AIBA	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	X
Bridge		WBF																										9
Canoe (flatwater)		ICF																						15	7	12		15	16	17		7	11
Chess		FIDE																						8	8			9	18			5	10
Cricket		ICC																													3			8
Ouk chaktrang																																		7
Xiangqi		WXF																															4	4
BMX		UCI																										2	2		2	3			?
Mountain biking																									4	4	4	4	5			4	4	5	?
Road cycling			3	3	10	13	8																	Y	5	4	4	5	6	6	5	6	8	4	?
Track cycling																									3	11		7			13				?
Aquathlon		ITU																																3
Duathlon																										2						3	2
Triathlon																									2	2				2	2	3	4	2
Dancesport		WDSF																							2	10						14	12	2	X
E-sports		AESF																														6	10	9	X
Dressage		IFE																								2		2	2	2	2				?
Endurance																															2				?
Eventing																										2		2	2						?
Jumping																									2	2		2	2	2	2				?
Fencing		FIE																						10	12	12		12		12	6	12	12	12	X
Finswimming		CMAS																						16			16	16					13	24
Floorball		IFF																											•	2		2		2	X
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	X
Futsal																										2		2	2		2		2		X
Beach Soccer																																			X
Golf		IGF																							4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	X
Artistic		FIG																						14	13	13		14		14	12	12	14	8	?
Rhythmic																								6	5	6		1		2	8	5	2		?
Aerobic																								4	4	4		2				3	5	5	?
Handball (indoor)		IHF																						2		2							2
Handball (beach)																								2		2						1	1
Field hockey		FIH																								2			2	2	2			2	X
Indoor hockey																															2	2		2	X
Jet ski																																		6
Judo		IJF																						16	8	16	18	16	18	12	6	16	13	13	X
Ju-jitsu		JJIF																														11	6	13
Kabaddi		IKF																																	X
Karate		WKF																						19	18	18	17	16	17		16	13	15	17
Kenpō																												16	18
Kickboxing		WAKO																														8	12	17
Kun bokator																																		21
Kun khmer																																		19
Kurash		IKA																														10	10		X
		PBA																								6					8	6
Modern pentathlon		UIPM																														6
Muay thai		IFMA																							7	11	13		14		5	9	11		X
		INF																												1	1	1			X
Obstacle race		FISO																														6		4
Paragliding		FAI																										12
Pencak silat		IPSF																						22	13	17	18	15	13	13	20	9	16	22	X
Pétanque		CMSB																						6	4	9	11	6	11	10	7	4	8	11	X
Polo		FIP																								1					1	1
Roller Skiing		FIS																																	X
Roller speed skating		WS																										12
Rowing		FISA																						8	9	11		11	9	18		6	16		X
Rugby sevens		WR																												2	2	2
Rugby union						1				1	1															2
Sailing		ISAF																							12	17		9	13	20	14	11		9	X
Sambo		FIAS																														7
Sepak takraw		ISTAF																						4	4	6	6	6	8	6	8	4	8	8	X
Hoop																								2	2	2	2		2			2		2	?
Chinlone																													8	4	4			11	?
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		X
Shuttlecock		ISF																						7			7
Skateboarding		WS																														8
Soft tennis		ISTF																										7				3		7	X
Sport climbing		IFSC																										10
Squash		WSF																							2	1				5	9	5
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	X
Taekwondo		WTF																						16	16	16	21	21	21	15	16	22	19	24	X
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	X
Teqball		FITEQ																																•	X
Traditional boat race		IDBF															4	4						4	6	4		10	17	8		6		13
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	X
Volleyball (beach)																								2	2	2	2	2				2	2	2	X
Waterskiing		IWWF														Y					Y							11		11	11	5
Weightlifting		IWF																						13	10	13	13	14	11		5	10	14	14
Ice hockey		IIHF																													1	1			X
Figure skating		ISU																													2	2			X
Short track speed skating																															6	6			X
Freestyle		FILA																						Y	5	9	10	10	14				18	20	?
Greco-roman																								Y		5	9	10	10			14		10	?
Wushu		IWUF																						28	22	14	21	20	23	20	17	16	21	22
Vovinam		WVVF																										14	18				15	30
Total events																								442	443	475	372	543	461	402	404	529	523	580	?

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)	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
Squash	1991 (Philippines)	Also in Asian Games, East Asian Games, South Asian Games, West Asian Games
Traditional boat race	1993 (Singapore)	Also in Asian Games, Asian Beach Games, East Asian Games
Waterskiing	1987 (Indonesia)
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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Olympic Council of Asia - ocasia.asia. OCASIA. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180623025238/http://www.ocasia.org/Home/Home. 2018-06-23.
2. Web site: South East Asian Games Federation: Charter and Rules . SEAGF . 30 May 2010 . 30 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160307182744/http://voc.org.vn/Portals/0/2013-SEAG%20Charter.pdf . 7 March 2016 . live .
3. News: Lee . David . 2023-05-17 . SEA Games sports programme to be standardised from 2025 to 2029 . en . The Straits Times . 2023-05-23 . 0585-3923.
4. Web site: AFP: Lesser-known sports grab spotlight at SEA Games . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130206141414/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ha_OG034-BXFxWgjRfc-bhFv1yJA . 2013-02-06.
5. Web site: Southeast Asian Games open with song, dance in Laos – Taipei Times. www.taipeitimes.com. 10 December 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20091214221451/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2009/12/10/2003460617. 14 December 2009.