Logo and information of 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.


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 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, 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
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.

In December 2005, the
Philippines hosted the
Games for the third
time, after 1981 and
1991 editions. With its
113 gold medals, it
copped the over-all
championship for the
first time since it joined
in 1977.
The last games held
was the incident free
2009 Southeast Asian
Games
(running from 9–18
December) 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). It
has also
commemorated the 50
years of the SEA
Games, held in
Vientiane, Laos. The
next host for the 2011
Southeast Asian Games
is Indonesia.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.