2017 SEA Games to hold 405 events from 38 sports

President of SEAGF Tunku Imran Tunku Jaafar speaks during a press conference after the SEA games Federation meeting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Four more sports have been included for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

Fencing, judo, triathlon and muay Thai, which were dropped from initial list in February, have been included – raising the number of events from 342 to 405.

These were finalised after the SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) council meeting at a local hotel here on Thursday.

SEAGF president Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar, who chaired the meeting, said that they had endorsed the proposal put forward by the executive committees, who held their meeting on Wednesday.

“We have finalised 38 sports and 405 events for the KL SEA Games. There will be no changes,” said Tunku Imran, who is also the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) president.

“We will not accept any more appeals from any parties to increase the number of sports or events. We will have more sports and events than last year’s Singapore Games.”

Singapore hosted 36 sports and 402 events.

Tunku Imran hopes that the 38 national sports associations will use the next 13 months to prepare their athletes for the Games.

“We want make it a real good outing for our athletes as we hope to become the overall champions,” he said.

Malaysia last became overall champions when they hosted the Games in 2001 – bagging 111 golds in 32 sports.

A total of 6,000 athletes from 11 South-East Asian countries will compete in the Games from Aug 19-31 next year.

Tunku Imran said that all the sports would be held in Kuala Lumpur, except for sailing (Langkawi) and equestrian (Terengganu).

He also said that the medical committee would take urine samples of about 600 athletes for doping tests during the SEA Games.

“And 10% of the 600 athletes will also have their blood samples taken. We will use a laboratory in New Delhi, India, to test the athletes’ urine samples and blood samples for doping,” he said.

Tunku Imran said that Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had on Thursday appealed to the SEAGF council to host the SEA Games and Asean Para Games simultaneously.

“Khairy gave his views and opinions of hosting the Games together. But only Laos was in favour while the rest of the other nine countries were against it. So, the Asean Para Games will be held after the KL SEA Games,” said Tunku Imran.

On Wednesday, the SEAGF voted 10:1 against the joint hosting.