HAS the Sea Games, which was inaugurated in 1959 as the Seap Games, outlived its importance and becomes just a carnival in recent years?
There are conflicting views on the issue. But looking at the games objectively, one must agree that it has become a showcase for host nations who just want to win the most number of medals at all costs.
The Sea Games has no official limit to the number of sports to be contested, and this can be decided by the host, and subject to approval by the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF).
Besides the core sports that must be featured, the host is allowed to drop or introduce other events.
This has resulted in hosts maximising their medal hauls by dropping sports that they are not strong in while introducing obscure sports, including traditional ones by the hosts.
Of course, there are favourable views that the biennial games are still very much relevant, that host countries will benefit with new sporting facilities and a boost to their economies, among other things.
The Games also helps Southeast Asian countries, athletes and officials in many ways. For example, the managerial skills gained from hosting the Games prove invaluable to local sports officials when preparing for bigger international events while home athletes gain a platform to shine and achieve higher targets.
For countries like Myanmar, who hosted the Games again after 44 years in 2013, shone in the international arena just two years after the end of military rule and the lifting of Western sanctions. The Games was a platform for the country to exhibit itself to the world again.
It was no different when Brunei, Vietnam and Laos hosted the Games for the first time in 1999, 2003 and 2009 respectively. They were faced with many uphill tasks, but managed to pull through in the end. It was a tremendous boost for these countries.
Having covered 12 consecutive Games from 1983 in Singapore to 2005 in Manila, and another in Singapore in 2015, besides two others in Thailand in 2007 and the 2017 KL Sea Games (in a different capacity in the media field, I have seen the best and worst of the Games.
But overall it was a great experience soaking in the electrifying atmosphere of the Games, something money cannot buy. These are memories I will treasure for life.
But again, the Sea Games has lost its importance because many nations have already established themselves as leaders in sports and their athletes have attained high standards in the international field.
Having said that, the Games is still being used to groom young athletes.
However, it has become a Catch-22 situation.
While on one hand, the Games still has its relevance, on the other, it has become a carnival as standards have been dropping till the extent that the Games is considered of the lowest standard in the region.
Some events even fail to have the full quota of participants and are only competed by four countries, and there are events scratched because they don’t have enough participants, while many countries send their second-rate athletes.
Some countries like Malaysia, even allow athletes who do not meet qualifying standards to enter as ‘B’ category athletes, which means pay their own way and get a refund if they win medals.
Maybe it is time that the Sea Games be just for under-23 athletes so that it becomes a development Games.
Football in the Games is already confined to the under-23, as the sport has grown tremendously. But then again whether the same can be said of all sports, especially athletics, is left to be debated.
Besides, there are enough events to expose young talent, from the Asean Schools Games, Commonwealth Youth Games, Asian Youth Games and Youth Olympics to the youth and school championships.
In any case, it is up to the nations or national associations of sports whether they want to send seasoned athletes or development athletes to the Games, depending on the status of the sports concerned.
But why has the Sea Games grown into a monster carnival, veering from being a platform for the development of future sport stars in the region?
Many will point a finger at the South East Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) — the governing body which was founded in June 1959 with six founder countries — Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Malaya, Thailand and Vietnam — which has now grown to 11 with the inclusion of Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor Leste.
But rules like Rule 34 of the SEAGF Charter which clearly defines that the programme is to be selected by the host, gives room for the Games to be diluted.
While the main grouse is a plethora of irrelevant sports, the first rule states: a minimum of 22 sports, with events contained therein to be determined based on the following criteria:
— 34.1: there shall be no artificial events… unless the same are already practised in the Olympic or Asian Games. — 34.2: a minimum of four NOCs must participate in a sport/event for it to be included.
— 34.3: with the exception of athletics, aquatics, and shooting, other sports shall not have more than five percentage of the total number of events or medal tally.
— 34.4: Following the existing guidelines of athletics and aquatics (swimming, diving, water polo) being compulsory sports, with a minimum of 14 sports from Category II (35 events listed; sports in Olympics and Asian Games) and a maximum of eight sports from Category III (15 events listed), South East Asian Games Federation Charter (as at 30 May 2010), 11 sports programme in the Sea Games should give priority or preference to sports already included in the IOC and /or OCA sports programmes.
— 34.6 Each adopted sport must belong to an existing International Sport Federation and/or an Asian Sport Federation.
34.7 The Organising Committee may hold as a “Demonstration Sports”, one (1) sport, subject to approval.
But despite the rules in place to safeguard the Games from expanding into many events, the host nations still managed to pick winnable sports to favour themselves.
What started with 12 sports in the inaugural Games in Thailand in 1959 has grown to an average of 30 sports or more. While the KL Games in 2017 saw 38 sports, the most was in 2011 when Indonesia hosted the 26th Sea Games with 44 sports. And now it will be overtaken by the Philippines with a staggering 56 sports!
The other issue is the accelerating costs for a host, where the Games reflects economic clout, with grand opening and closing ceremonies.
Too much emphasis and money are spent on opening and closing ceremonies. The money would be put to better use for the development of sports in the host nations.
The Games has also become a money spinner for many. If the SEAGF do not put their foot down to get the Games back on its track, it is just going to continue to explode with more events.
But with the SEAGF comprising officials of member nations practising a family-like atmosphere in their meetings, where it is common “you scratch my back and I scratch yours”, the Games will continue to morph into a monster-cum-circus.