Home-team: always a favourite
The host nations of previous SEA Games have always been a favourite to win big in the medal tally, and many of them have succeeded.
A phenomenon from the beginning of the competition which started in 1959 as the Southeast Asian Peninsula Games (SEAP Games), through the name change to Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in 1977,and to present, the home team usually comes out on top.
From the 1st games to the 24th, only Singapore has hosted games more than once (1973, 83, and 93) without receiving top rank.
The other home-team which failed to prevail is Brunei Darussalam who hosted the event in 1999. They finished 7th out of 10.
This year's SEA Games will be hosted by Laos , a country yet to be on top in the competition, but that has shown its improvement by bettering their rank from previous years.
However, the main goal for Laos as the host nation is to present the games smoothly and successfully under the slogan ‘Generosity, Amity, and Healthy Lifestyle'.
The South-East Asian Games Federation also aims to promote friendship, solidarity and understanding between countries in the region, as well as sport, and to provide an opportunity for athletes to compete in order to improve their performances at the Asian Games and Olympic Games.
Statistics of SEAP Games and SEA Games
Country Participation Host Top rank
Thailand 24 6 10
Malaysia 24 5 1
Myanmar 24 2 2
Singapore 24 3 0
Vietnam 17 1 1
Indonesia 16 3 9
Philippines 16 3 1
Laos 15 0 0
Brunei 15 1 0
Cambodia 13 0 0
Timor Leste 3 0 0
By Times Reporters
