PETALING JAYA: Imagine Australia and New Zealand competing alongside Southeast Asia's best nations in the SEA Games Plus to inject fresh excitement into the regional showpiece.
On Sunday (Dec 28), president of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, Raja Sapta Oktohari, proposed inviting Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Bhutan and several other Oceania nations to take part in the SEA Games Plus, a new format for the regional event.
The plan is for it to be held in 2028 in the Philippines, following Malaysia hosting the 34th edition next year.
This SEA Games Plus will be held alternatively with the biennial regional Games that includes the 11 nations.
According to Sapta, besides wanting to end host-country dominance at each SEA Games, he also wants the event to focus on sports contested at the Olympics.
Therefore, inviting new Oceania nations would further elevate the status of the Games.
Their proposed plan however did not go well with Malaysia.
Deputy president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad, has criticised Indonesia’s idea to invite Australia and New Zealand to participate in future SEA Games.
Azmi said Indonesia should understand that the SEA Games is a regional event involving Southeast Asian countries, making it irrelevant to invite nations outside the region.
"Logically, you have to ask again: what is the SEA Games? It is the Southeast Asian Games, so the focus should be on member countries in this region," said Azmi.
Azmi also questioned the relevance of inviting Australia and New Zealand if the aim was to ensure the SEA Games remain prestigious and aligned with Olympic sports.
In fact, the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) had already amended their charter on May 4, 2023, to reduce the inclusion of non-traditional sports, prioritising Olympic and Asian Games disciplines.
From 2025, the SEA Games will focus on Group One sports (athletics and swimming), Group Two (other Olympic sports), and allow a maximum of two traditional sports in Group Three.
Hosts may still include non-Olympic or traditional sports if at least four nations agree.
"We already have Olympic sports in the SEA Games, and hosts also have the right to decide what other sports they want to include based on their strengths," he said.
"So far, I have not been briefed on this matter, and it may be raised at the next OCM meeting. But for me, it is irrelevant. Indonesia needs to understand what the SEA Games is all about," he added.
