SEA Games Starts on the 9th

History of SEA Games

The Southeast Asian Games owes its origins to the Southeast Asian
Peninsular Games or SEAP Games. On May 22, 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 Laung 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, Malaysia,
Singapore, South Vietnam and Laos participating in 12 sports.

At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation considered the
inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines. The two 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. Brunei was admitted at the 10th SEA Games in Jakarta,
Indonesia, and East Timor at the 22nd SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The 23rd SEA Games held in the Philippines, which started from 27
November and ended on 5 December 2005, hosting the biennial event for the third
time