Football is always one of the most popular events at international sporting events such as the SEA Games, Asian Games and Olympic Games.
Football was added to the SEA Games in 1959, when the event was known as the Southeast Asian Peninsula Games (SEAP Games).
In the tally of winners from 1959 to 2007, Thailand holds top rank, winning 11 out 24 contests in the SEA Games.
The Lao team's best success was when they made the semi-finals in 1967. Then they finished fourth after a 2-5 loss to Thailand in the third place-play-off. Laos has never reached the semi-finals again.
At the 1959 games, held in Bangkok , Thailand , only four nations competed in the football event - Malaysia , Vietnam , Myanmar and Thailand . Vietnam beat Thailand 3-1 in the event that year.
In 1961 in Rangoon , Burma , six nations contested the football event - Laos , Vietnam , Myanmar , Thailand , Malaysia and Cambodia . The Malaysian side took home gold after beating Myanmar 2-0 in the final.
Malaysia , Thailand , Vietnam , Myanmar and Singapore vied for honours in 1965 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . Myanmar and Thailand drew 2-2.
In 1967 in Bangkok , Thailand , Laos reached the semi-finals of the football after other results went their way. Myanmar took gold in the event after defeating Vietnam in the final. Thailand took the bronze medal after they beat Laos 5-2 in the third place play-off.
In 1971 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , seven teams competed in football - Laos , Malaysia , Cambodia , Thailand , Vietnam , Myanmar and Singapore . Burma took gold, Malaysia silver, while Vietnam and Thailand both got bronze after playing a draw.
The games were held in Singapore in 1973, and Myanmar won, which was contested by teams from Laos , Singapore , Thailand , Malaysia , Myanmar and Vietnam .
The event at the 1975 games in Bangkok , Thailand and the 1977 games in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia were won by the host nations.
The Malaysian football team won gold at the 1979 games in Jakarta , Indonesia and the 1981 games in Manila , Philippines .
The football event at the 1983 games in Singapore was contested by Malaysia , Singapore , Philippines , Thailand , Indonesia , Brunei and Myanmar . Thailand won gold medal, Singapore silver and Malaysia bronze.
Thailand claimed back-to-back titles after winning at the 1985 games in Bangkok .
The 1987 games were held in Jakarta , Indonesia and the hosts claimed the football gold medal, followed by Malaysia and Thailand .
In 1989 in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia again the host nation claimed gold, while Singapore won silver and defending champions Indonesia took the bronze medal.
At the 1991 games in Manila , Philippines , defending champions Malaysia were knocked out in the preliminary rounds. Indonesia took gold, Thailand silver and Singapore bronze.
In 1993 in Singapore , the hosts claimed bronze while Thailand won gold and Myanmar finished runner-up.
In 1995 in Chiang Mai , Thailand , the football event was contested by ten nations – Thailand , Myanmar , Laos , Brunei , Philippines , Cambodia , Indonesia , Malaysia , Vietnam and Singapore . The host nation took the gold medal, followed by Vietnam and Singapore .
In 1997 in Jakarta , Indonesia , Thailand again won gold, with Indonesia and Vietnam taking the other places.
Thailand again claimed at the 1999 games in Brunei , with Vietnam taking silver and Indonesia bronze.
Thailand , Malaysia and Myanmar took home medals from the football event at the 2001 games in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia ,
In 2003 in Vietnam , once again Thailand claimed gold, while Vietnam won silver.
The results were exactly the same at the 2005 games in the Philippines , with Malaysia taking bronze.
At the 2007 games in Thailand , the medals went to Thailand , Myanmar and Singapore .
By Times Reporters
