SEA Games hosts Thailand include our medal-prospect sports

Champ: S. Prem Kumar (right) was one of the four gold medallists for Malaysia in karate in Cambodia.

PETALING JAYA: Thailand will have a total of 50 sports when they host the SEA Games next year, substantially more than the 36 contested in the Cambodia edition last year.

The final list of sports was confirmed over the weekend with sports like karate, wushu, bowling, weightlifting and jiu-jitsu included much to Malaysia’s relief.

However, lawn bowls did not make the final list.

Karate (15), bowling (6), wushu (14), weightlifting (14) and jiu-jitsu (18) were excluded from the initial list of sports proposed by the Thai organisers in June.

Karate and wushu accounted for six of the 34 gold medals won by Malaysia contingent at the Cambodia SEA Games. Bowling and lawn bowls were not contested in Cambodia.

Olympic Council of Malaysia then submitted an official appeal to the Thai organisers and it is music to national karate exponent S. Prem Kumar to hear that his sport is now included in the Thailand SEA Games after all.

Prem was one of the four gold medallists for Malaysia in karate in Cambodia, triumphing in the men’s kumite below 55kg category for the second time.

“If the appeal fails, it is a big blow for the national athletes’ preparation for the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games.

“Karate has always contributed a lot of medals in the SEA Games.

“We always looks forward to the SEA Games as it is an important platform for us to gauge our performance.

“We usually try out things in the SEA Games before the Asian Games, so it would disturb our plans for the 2026 Asian Games if there is no karate in the SEA Games.”

In Phnom Penh, Malaysia’s other gold medals in karate came from R. Sharmendran (kumite below 75kg), H. Sureeya Sankar (kumite below 60kg) and C. Shahmalarani (women’s kumite below 50kg).

Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist woman exponent Tan Cheong Min delivered both gold medals won by the wushu team in Phnom Penh.

Aquatic sports will offer the most medals among all sports in Thailand with 50 golds up for grabs – swimming, diving, open water swimming and waterpolo.

Athletics will offer the second most medals at 43 golds followed by canoeing and rowing (30) and shooting (30).

LIST OF SPORTS

Aquatics, athletics, canoeing and rowing, shooting, taekwondo, extreme sports, cycling, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, boxing, gymnastics, karate, weightlifting, wushu, pencak silat, sailing, fencing, wrestling, judo, petanque, sepak takraw, triathlon, archery, billiards and snooker, ice skating, chess, equestrian, badminton, table tennis, tennis, modern pentathlon, hockey, kabaddi, woodball, e-sports, tenpin bowling, teqball, basketball, squash, cricket, football and futsal, volleyball, baseball, softball, golf, handball, rugby, ice hockey, floorball and netball.