The Southeast Asian Games, commonly known as SEA Games, is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. The games are under the regulation of the Southeast Asian Games Federation with supervision by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia.
The SEA Games is one of the five subregional Games of the Olympic Council of Asia, the others being South Asian Games, West Asian Games, East Asian Games, and Central Asian Games.
History
The SEA Games owes its origins to the South East Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games (abbreviated as SEAPG). On 22 May 1958, delegates from the countries in Southeast Asian Peninsula attending the Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan had a meeting and agreed to establish a sports organization. The SEAP Games was conceptualized by Luang Sukhum Nayapradit, then vice-president of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote co-operation, understanding, and relations among countries in the Southeast Asian region.
Six countries, Burma (now Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Malaya (now Malaysia), Thailand and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) were the founding members. These countries agreed to hold the Games biennially in June 1959 and the SEAP Games Federation Committee was formed thereafter.
In December 2025, the president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, Raja Sapta Oktohari, proposed to the Southeast Asian Games Federation to broaden the scope of the event by creating a parallel event he called SEA Games Plus, which would be held in even-numbered years. He argued that introducing this would support athletes in bridging the gap between regional and international events, focus on holding more Olympic sports over regional sports, and eliminating the possibility for host nations to tamper with the SEA Games charter to maximise medal hauls. He said that the Indonesian Olympic Committee had been in talks with several National Olympic Committees outside of Southeast Asia in South Asia and Oceania to participate, such as Bhutan, Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. This plan was confirmed and clarified by the Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham Tolentino on 1 January 2026. The event, known as the SEA Plus Youth Games, was clarified to be a youth multi-sport tournament similar to the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 17 and under, and will involve all nine Southeast Asian nations, as well as one guest country from another Asian sub-region.
Symbol
The Southeast Asian Games symbol was introduced during the 1959 SEAP Games in Bangkok, depicting six rings that represent the six founding members and was used until the 1997 edition in Jakarta. The number of rings increased to 10 during the 1999 edition in Brunei to reflect the inclusion of Singapore, which was admitted into the Southeast Asian Games Federation in 1961, and Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines, which joined the organization in 1977. The number of rings was again increased to 11 during the 2011 Games in Indonesia to reflect the federation's newest member, East Timor, which was admitted in 2003.
Participating NOCs
{| class="wikitable"
! Nation || Code || National Olympic Committee || Created || Debuted
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | BRU || Brunei Darussalam National Olympic Council || style="text-align: center;" | 1984 || style="text-align: center;" | 1977
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | CAM || National Olympic Committee of Cambodia || style="text-align: center;" | 1983 || style="text-align: center;" | 1961
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | INA || Indonesian Olympic Committee || style="text-align: center;" | 1946 || style="text-align: center;" | 1977
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | LAO || National Olympic Committee of Laos || style="text-align: center;" | 1975 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | MAS || Olympic Council of Malaysia || style="text-align: center;" | 1953 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | MYA || Myanmar Olympic Committee || style="text-align: center;" | 1947 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | PHI || Philippine Olympic Committee || style="text-align: center;" | 1911 || style="text-align: center;" | 1977
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | SGP || Singapore National Olympic Council || style="text-align: center;" | 1947 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | THA || National Olympic Committee of Thailand || style="text-align: center;" | 1948 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| ||style="text-align: center;" | TLS || National Olympic Committee of Timor Leste || style="text-align: center;" colspan=2| 2003
|- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
| || style="text-align: center;" | VIE || Vietnam Olympic Committee || style="text-align: center;" | 1952 || style="text-align: center;" | 1959
|}
Timelines
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" | Nation || rowspan="2" | Code || colspan= 9 | as SEAP Games || colspan= 25 | as SEA Games || rowspan="2" | Total
|-
! 59 || 61 || 63 || 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
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | BRU || colspan=2 style="background:#aaa;"| || scope="col" rowspan="12" || colspan=6 style="background:#aaa;"| || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 26
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | CAM || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || || || || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || || || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | || style="text-align: center;" | 22
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | INA || colspan=2 style="background:#aaa;"| || colspan=6 style="background:#aaa;"| || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 26
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | LAO || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || || || || || || || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 26
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | MAS || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 33
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | MYA || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 33
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | PHI || colspan=2 style="background:#aaa;"| || colspan=6 style="background:#aaa;"| || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 26
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | SGP || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 33
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | THA || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 33
|-
| ||style="text-align: center;" | TLS || colspan=2 style="background:#aaa;"| || colspan=6 style="background:#aaa;"| ||colspan="13" style="text-align: center;" | part of Indonesia || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 12
|-
| || style="text-align: center;" | VIE || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || || || || || || || || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | • || style="text-align: center;" | 26
|-
! colspan=2 style="text-align: center;" | Total || 6 || 7 || 7 || 6 || 6 || 7 || 7 || 4 || 7 || 7 || 7 || 8 || 8 || 8 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 10 || 296
|}
Editions
Thailand is the only nation to have never missed the top three.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 80%; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;"
|+List of SEA Games
! rowspan="2" |No.
! rowspan="2" |Year
! rowspan="2" |Host cities
! rowspan="2" |Opened by
! rowspan="2" |Date
! rowspan="2" |Sports
! rowspan="2" |Events
! rowspan="2" |Na.
! rowspan="2" |Com.
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Top three nations
! rowspan="2" |Ref.
|-
!1st
!2nd
!3rd
|-
! colspan="13" style="text-align:center;" |SEAP Games
|-
| align="center" |1
| align="center" |1959
| align="left" | Bangkok, Thailand
| align="left" |King Bhumibol Adulyadej
| align="center" |12–17 December
| align="center" |12
| align="center" |67
| align="center" |6
| align="center" |518
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=vB6K5E3bTbSbaay2ZaIQp8hO7n0RmiRDOzxXMCFxrjge0YmtFRmezwEKMMcZW2SZMAGqUbftyeLzRyo5cI+Eeg==]
|-
| align="center" |2
| align="center" |1961
| align="left" | Rangoon, Burma
| align="left" |President Win Maung
| align="center" |11–16 December
| align="center" |13
| align="center" |86
| align="center" |7
| align="center" |623
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=vB6K5E3bTbSbaay2ZaIQp13yXhzvdgDCmTi1DEp04eh0PClMx0bcl6O2Y1PXkYe4QvQJ2estcU2eCBSb94Y2IA==]
|-
| align="center" |3
| align="center" |1965
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| align="left" |Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ismail Nasiruddin
| align="center" |14–21 December
| align="center" |14
| align="center" |134
| align="center" |7
| align="center" |963
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFscVG8BWx29pF4p9I39blYhgmp9N8LGL4zzJq2wWAfesdIRJJZycWY9NdPLhmTsG8g==]
|-
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |1967
| align="left" | Bangkok, Thailand
| align="left" |King Bhumibol Adulyadej
| align="center" |9–16 December
| align="center" |16
| align="center" |144
| rowspan="2" align="center" |6
| align="center" |984
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFt04avxVZtrVcrmtU2ceoPML0viPEooEZfXPsbXea2Ziir+nysAA+WRbdM0bkn7Qug==]
|-
| align="center" |5
| align="center" |1969
| align="left" | Rangoon, Burma
| align="left" |Prime Minister Ne Win
| align="center" |6–13 December
| align="center" |15
| align="center" |145
| align="center" |920
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFqUMuKGGQ5+f0dQs7Yi/UXa/aAhES4nffu0h8ELhylqKFH+0eGleWftnuoHUcmnYwQ==]
|-
| align="center" |6
| align="center" |1971
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| align="left" |Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdul Halim
| align="center" |6–13 December
| align="center" |15
| align="center" |156
| rowspan="2" align="center" |7
| align="center" |957
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFi1DqK8mV+i7d1x3lEY4ykH9M8uninqCq4Zc2iqrbLoIlfhs0Cb7BxlTLi1u8S7UTw==]
|-
| align="center" |7
| align="center" |1973
| align="left" | Singapore
| align="left" |President Benjamin Sheares
| align="center" |1–8 September
| align="center" |16
| align="center" |161
| align="center" |1,632
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFuE6eUFFaG/6yHbBRDy31tzlqbUukyMis7n69b6kOKijKzRGyRUWuppZocC09j22Kw==]
|-
| align="center" |8
| align="center" |1975
| align="left" | Bangkok, Thailand
| align="left" |King Bhumibol Adulyadej
| align="center" |9–16 December
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |172
| align="center" |4
| align="center" |1,142
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFiXp9c3JevuT5+xDmH869zpdLov8g39B+wWLyE2PdVPuqAgcAxq8CnJsXTtoX5L15Q==]
|-
! colspan="13" style="text-align:center;" |SEA Games
|-
| align="center" |9
| align="center" |1977
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|Yang di-Pertuan Agong Yahya Petra
| align="center" |19–26 November
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |188
| rowspan="3" align="center" |7
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFuT29EBOSoldZVC1AVzvM4Lu94I1SeM8cdBJfz9zwsckuxfbj5Nc/SL5zq/cuE+OTg==]
|-
| align="center" |10
| align="center" |1979
| align="left" | Jakarta, Indonesia
|President Soeharto
| align="center" |21–30 September
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |226
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFhmfcVFL+1HCC1TNslkrHriv/o3vx33yOl5EWhYQ7sjUQmQgKh711ZloSOoVNnzkmw==]
|-
| align="center" |11
| align="center" |1981
| align="left" | Manila, Philippines
|President Ferdinand Marcos
| align="center" |6–15 December
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |245
| align="center" |≈1,800
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
|[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFqF1abEccmysuNLHz9BbkWY6V1Je1iigvlSYYnOmxSKxI+srg0aF6pcyBMDOV73FTw==]
|-
| align="center" |12
| align="center" |1983
| align="left" | Singapore
|President Devan Nair
| align="center" |28 May – 6 June
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |233
| rowspan="3" align="center" |8
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=XHreq1g4oYTZIf3o6y9FFjH0G1TcWtwKEvv4Dfcz2LxKcuBmxJ4VgAZF+WV/++SxRemdPU39sz61PUI0k7NSKQ==]
|-
| align="center" |13
| align="center" |1985
| align="left" | Bangkok, Thailand
|King Bhumibol Adulyadej
| align="center" |8–17 December
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |251
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=Ye9/ZdtgZovn3J/OQ0+sD08HdI2hdZJRQFXjlIxUUQrt3UVqsoNkInCFsy/iRO3acEbGs7rm7ntms76jdCdfig==]
|-
| align="center" |14
| align="center" |1987
| align="left" | Jakarta, Indonesia
|President Soeharto
| align="center" |9–20 September
| align="center" |26
| align="center" |372
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=Ye9/ZdtgZovn3J/OQ0+sD04nmW/Mftv7EI9ujmxlPwMRD2+c6cFcUNZ83IkkyGoT8pmSJG/ecQAfn1COaq4v+g==]
|-
| align="center" |15
| align="center" |1989
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|Yang di-Pertuan Agong Azlan Shah
| align="center" |20–31 August
| align="center" |24
| align="center" |302
| rowspan="3" align="center" |9
| align="center" |≈2,800
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=Ye9/ZdtgZovn3J/OQ0+sD6OxemWyMke9nGNuvnlnej/PaybmQzl2JQVEXc2bUx5lYzMen+hA4Mw7Mo78CRU/8Q==]
|-
| align="center" |16
| align="center" |1991
| align="left" | Manila, Philippines
|President Corazon Aquino
| align="center" |24 November – 3 December
| align="center" |28
| align="center" |327
| align="center" |N/A
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=Ye9/ZdtgZovn3J/OQ0+sD9gEFSizHE1jVoAuWOj9KCu0OwdNi7cmsCKbobU7DDSMr2cxNSo/E4/sgom6MhC2bg==]
|-
| align="center" |17
| align="center" |1993
| align="left" | Singapore
|President Wee Kim Wee
| align="center" |12–20 June
| align="center" |29
| align="center" |318
| align="center" |≈3,000
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=Ye9/ZdtgZovn3J/OQ0+sDx/NqDzXGf93kYcQiT0RmvPQlyP8bFGPMJBGtLjMEaQArVw0ILUwiFRz2W5YSQK5UQ==]
|-
| align="center" |18
| align="center" |1995
| align="left" | Chiang Mai, Thailand
|Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
| align="center" |9–17 December
| align="center" |28
| align="center" |335
| rowspan="4" align="center" |10
| align="center" |3,262
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=v6wVopT8epAuVqcT3nvcVFJ+1HUC+Snff1yIGxMtGRWS0o22vBVCMNh52lXXsE3+a/VN26qQT9yEPYZseB8P2Q==]
|-
| align="center" |19
| align="center" |1997
| align="left" | Jakarta, Indonesia
|President Soeharto
| align="center" |11–19 October
| align="center" |36
| align="center" |490
| align="center" |5,179
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=v6wVopT8epAuVqcT3nvcVJ9eFUzSekTnonpVK2vA8aqidAQOUPX/K0rCTl19/yQ1jVlPP3lm4NeKa9LDEVb5og==]
|-
| align="center" |20
| align="center" |1999
| align="left" | Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
|Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
| align="center" |7–15 August
| align="center" |21
| align="center" |233
| align="center" |2,365
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=v6wVopT8epAuVqcT3nvcVPrexFXIIhQtx4LsLJa/EX0VpGNLqeVE9t6ZP4mhlBiZdIRfJk12VsI+sJYXIb1EkA==]
|-
| align="center" |21
| align="center" |2001
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|Yang di-Pertuan Agong Salahuddin
| align="center" |8–17 September
| align="center" |32
| align="center" |391
| align="center" |4,165
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=J1dbR2Z5Zhju9k3qSk/TfnGoKcuIKSrNirX/Lr8ngsrmH6JDmytG1NiVz1AAQ8FJAMsjFfQW96Uu57SPnMuz6A==]
|-
| align="center" |22
| align="center" |2003
| align="left" | Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
|Prime Minister Phan Văn Khải
| align="center" |5–13 December
| align="center" |32
| align="center" |442
| rowspan="11" align="center" |11
| align="center" |≈5,000
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=J1dbR2Z5Zhju9k3qSk/Tfi7+Gv5j4b2uhF0LQfTyM030tp+7yYqqJ4mURIgSWa5aORYHKfZCuxUJxyoIjdvx4A==]
|-
| align="center" |23
| align="center" |2005
| align="left" | Manila, Philippines
|President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
| align="center" |27 November – 5 December
| align="center" |40
| align="center" |443
| align="center" |5,336
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=J1dbR2Z5Zhju9k3qSk/TfuWI4EAn0ZTQg4yomYPPhXQ4ZrXDkHAi1Xvh0tn9sflRHwSd40hazI34mXJ5IrBTyw==]
|-
| align="center" |24
| align="center" |2007
| align="left" | Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
|Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
| align="center" |6–15 December
| align="center" |43
| align="center" |475
| align="center" |5,282
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |
|-
| align="center" |25
| align="center" |2009
| align="left" | Vientiane, Laos
|President Choummaly Sayasone
| align="center" |9–18 December
| align="center" |29
| align="center" |372
| align="center" |3,100
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=J1dbR2Z5Zhju9k3qSk/TftbJ9vB//UPlW85B2RFQ7ozs9w6rjAWz8IRD3Awjev+kgYgLZjSRjaYi7SEYLODfSw==]
|-
| align="center" |26
| align="center" |2011
| align="left" | Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
|President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
| align="center" |11–22 November
| align="center" |44
| align="center" |545
| align="center" |5,965
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=J1dbR2Z5Zhju9k3qSk/TfmR8mAYCqZTznAoKUwwqPqG84ZnVCLSuSx02FVwp4e0Q0arA5Gi00+MuwzT1SYNwVA==]
|-
| align="center" |27
| align="center" |2013
| align="left" | Naypyidaw, Myanmar
|Vice President Nyan Tun
| align="center" |11–22 December
| align="center" |34
| align="center" |460
| align="center" |4,730
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=NtpwTOliipDwo6ShqBnES1hsYtfwQdSXNn+lURXo/TCdQBDEwMREp6r3XxfOFPBh0Vc8vxMMxmdm6qrTCA1RDQ==]
|-
| align="center" |28
| align="center" |2015
| align="left" | Singapore
|President Tony Tan
| align="center" |5–16 June
| align="center" |36
| align="center" |402
| align="center" |4,370
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=NtpwTOliipDwo6ShqBnES8krNZGon0IZI+akTNiOLzlTcKOX18LmyvsDkaTeUD5tG66v3zXc86SsGLuXNAa5iQ==]
|-
| align="center" |29
| align="center" |2017
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|Yang di-Pertuan Agong Muhammad V
| align="center" |19–30 August
| align="center" |38
| align="center" |404
| align="center" |4,709
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=NtpwTOliipDwo6ShqBnES4nydFBw5FkrpDl4zAO+NhKhaEW+uFfjqp3LnotWVBJFLARn242TQe6pDIJdGfbi0g==]
|-
| align="center" |30
| align="center" |2019
| align="left" | Philippines
|President Rodrigo Duterte
| align="center" |30 November – 11 December
| align="center" |56
| align="center" |530
| align="center" |5,630
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="center" |[http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GHAFDetails?q=NtpwTOliipDwo6ShqBnES6Hu2rKNoep1wiQPWHLIZPpcQURNk2GfMVLfUe2HxIbgBIMTBdo6hoL+jQCwdH6NRA==]
|-
| align="center" |31
| align="center" |2021
| align="left" | Hanoi, Vietnam
|President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc
| align="center" |12–23 May 2022
| align="center" |40
| align="center" |523
| align="center" |5,467
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
|
|-
| align="center" |32
| align="center" |2023
| align="left" | Phnom Penh, Cambodia
|Prime Minister Hun Sen
| align="center" |5–17 May
| align="center" |37
| align="center" |580
| align="center" |6,210
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
|
|-
| align="center" |33
| align="center" |2025
| align="left" | Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand
| align="left" |King Vajiralongkorn
| align="center" |9–20 December
| align="center" |50
| align="center" |573
| align="center" |10
| align="center" |9,199
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
| align="left" |
|
|-
| align="center" |34
| align="center" |2027
| align="left" | Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor, Malaysia
| align="left" |Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ibrahim Iskandar (expected)
| align="center" |18–29 September
| align="center" |38
| colspan="7" align="center" |Future event
|-
| align="center" |35
| align="center" |2029
| align="left" | Singapore
| colspan="10" align="center" |Future event
|-
| align="center" |36
| align="center" |2031
| align="left" | TBA, Laos
| colspan="10" align="center" |Future event
|-
| align="center" |37
| align="center" |2033
| align="left" | TBA, Philippines In 2023, Cambodia was finally able to host the Games for the first time.
Sports
The SEAGF Charter and Rules mandate the minimum number of sports to be staged, with sports falling under numerous categories. Prior to 2023, a host nation must have staged a minimum of 22 sports: the two compulsory sports from Category 1 (athletics and aquatics), in addition to a minimum of 14 sports from Category 2 (Olympic and Asian Games core sports), and a maximum of 8 sports from Category 3. Each sport would not offer more than 5% of the total medal tally, except for athletics, aquatics and shooting (the shot was elevated for this category in 2013). For each sport and event to be included, a minimum of four countries must participate in it. Sports competed in the Olympic Games and Asian Games must be given priority.
This charter was modified in 2023, with the first Games with this modification in effect was the 2025 edition. Each edition will have a minimum of 36 sports, composed as follows: the compulsory Category 1 which comprises two subcategories: 1A, which consists of aquatics and athletics, and 1B, a minimum of 10 Olympic sports from the Summer Olympic Games. Under Category 2, the host must include a minimum of 10 other sports from the Olympic Games (summer/winter), Asian Games, and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games or Asian Beach Games. Category 3 is now capped at a maximum of four sports.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+List of SEA Games sports
! colspan="2" |Category 1
! colspan="2" |Category 2
! colspan="2" |Category 3
|-
! style="width:150px;" |1A
! style="width:150px;" |1B
!Olympic sports
!Asian Games / AIMAG / ABG sports
!Traditional
!Other or ABG Sports
|-
|Athletics
| colspan="2" |Archery <br>
|Billiards and snooker <br>
|Arnis <br>
|Aquathlon <br>
|-
|Diving <br>
| colspan="2" |Badminton
|Bowling <br>
|Bokator <br>
|Baseball5<br>
|-
|Artistic swimming <br>
| colspan="2" |Baseball <br>
|Chess <br>
|Chinlone <br>
|Bodybuilding <br>
|-
|Swimming
| colspan="2" |Basketball <br>
|Cricket <br>
|Muay Thai <br>
|Beach handball <br>
|-
|Water polo <br>
| colspan="2" |Boxing
|Dancesport<br>
|Traditional boat race <br>
|Contract bridge <br>
|-
| rowspan="30" |
| colspan="2" |Canoeing<br>
|Esports<br>
|Kenpō<br>
|Duathlon <br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Cycling<br>
|Finswimming<br>
|Kun Khmer<br>
|Floorball<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Equestrian<br>
|Futsal<br>
|Vovinam<br>
|Lawn bowls <br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Fencing<br>
|Indoor hockey<br>
| rowspan="27" |
|Obstacle racing<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Field hockey<br>
|Ju-jitsu<br>
|Paragliding<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Football
|Kickboxing<br>
|Pétanque<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Golf<br>
|Kurash<br>
|Polo<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Gymnastics<br>
|Netball<br>
|Shuttle cock<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Handball<br>
|Pencak silat<br>
|Soft tennis<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Judo<br>
|Roller sports<br>
|Waterskiing<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Karate<br>
|Rugby union<br>
| rowspan="20" |
|-
| colspan="2" |Modern pentathlon<br>
|Sambo<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Rowing<br>
|Sepak takraw<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Rugby sevens<br>
|Squash<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Sailing<br>
|Wushu<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Shooting<br>
|Xiangqi<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Skateboarding<br>
| rowspan="14" |
|-
| colspan="2" |Softball<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Sport climbing<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Surfing<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Table tennis
|-
| colspan="2" |Taekwondo<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Tennis<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Triathlon<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Volleyball<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Weightlifting<br>
|-
| colspan="2" |Wrestling<br>
|-
| rowspan="3" |
|Figure skating<br>
|-
|Ice hockey<br>
|-
|Short track speed skating<br>
|}
All-time medal table
Corrected after balancing the data of the Olympic Council of Asia and other archived sites which had kept the previous Southeast Asian Games medal tables. Some information from the aforementioned sites are missing, incorrect and or not updated.
Last Uptdated after the 2025 SEA Games
List of multiple Southeast Asian Games medalists
Various individuals have won multiple medals at the Games, including the preceding Southeast Asian Peninsular Games.
As of 2019, Singaporean swimmer Joscelin Yeo has won the most Southeast Asian Games medals with 55 (40 gold, 12 silver, 3 bronze). She reached this milestone during the 2005 Games, overtaking the previous record of 39 gold medals set by another Singaporean swimmer, Patricia Chan.
Criticism
One unique characteristic of the event is that there are no official limits to the number of sports and events to be contested, and the range can be decided by the organizing host pending approval by the Southeast Asian Games Federation. This has seen as many as 50 to 56 sports for the 2025 and 2019 editions, respectively. Aside from mandatory sports, the host is free to drop or introduce other sports or events (See SEA Games sports). This leeway has resulted in hosts maximizing their medal hauls by dropping sports disadvantageous to themselves relative to their peers and the introduction of obscure sports, often at short notice, thus preventing most other nations from building credible opponents. Several nations have called for amending the charter of the games to address the issue. In 2023, the SEA Games charter was modified in an effort to make the number of sports in each edition more standardized, reducing the host's leeway to remove several sports, maximize medal hauls by introducing obscure local sports, and tamper with the competition's rules.
See also
- Events of the OCA (Continental)
- Asian Games
- Asian Winter Games
- Asian Youth Games
- Asian Beach Games
- Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
- Events of the OCA (Subregional)
- Central Asian Games
- East Asian Games (now East Asian Youth Games)
- South Asian Games
- West Asian Games
- Events of the APC (Continental)
- Asian Para Games
- Asian Youth Para Games
- Events of the APC (Subregional)
- ASEAN Para Games
References
External links
- Olympic Council of Asia Regional Hosting List
- Medal Tally 1959–1995 (archived 11 January 1998)
- Medal Tally (archived 11 October 2008)
- History of the SEA Games (archived 17 December 2004)
- SEA Games previous medal table (archived 4 December 2009)
- (archived 7 December 2001)