Photo: Meeting participants admire the design of the SEA Games stadium and environs, currently under construction in Vientiane
Laos yesterday presented its first proposal for a total of 22 sports to be included in the 25 th South East Asian (SEA) Games, to be held in Laos at the end of next year.
The proposal was made yesterday at the first 25 th South East Asia Games Executive Committee Meeting, which is taking place in Vientiane from April 22-24.
A member of the Sports and Rules Standing Committee of Laos, Mr Phouvanh Vongsouthi, presented the proposal to the meeting. The suggested sports are athletics, badminton, boxing, football, golf, judo, karate-do, muay, petanque, pencak silat, shuttlecock, rattanball, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, traditional boat racing, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, wushu and fin swimming.
Other countries taking part in the games proposed additional sports, including water polo, archery, billiards, snooker, basketball, bowling, gymnastics, cycling, canoeing, chess, body building, fencing, dance, rowing, weightlifting, vovinam, hockey, squash and kempo.
Responding to the proposal, meeting chairman Dr Souvannarath Saignavong asked executive committee members to put their proposals in writing to the Lao National Olympic Committee for reference and further discussion.
Final approval of the sports and specific events is expected to be given at a SEA Games Council meeting that will be held at the end of this year.
Dr Souvannarath informed participants the 25 th SEA Games' charter would be based on that approved in Manila , the Philippines , in 2004, along with some adaptations, such as the descriptions of the duties of each country's National Olympic Committee.
This year's charter states that the traditional combat boxing sport formerly referred to as “muay Thai” in the 24 th SEA Games held in Korat, Thailand, should be known as “muay”, according to the head of the meeting secretariat Soudthanom Inthavong.
Officials also presented the minutes of the Medical Committee Meeting held on Tuesday, which will also be presented at today's SEA Games Council meeting.
The medical committee presented its comments on four cases of doping at the last SEA Games, held in Thailand . Attendees approved the comments and the matter will be further addressed at the SEA Games Council meeting for final approval and public announcement.
An Indonesian participant proposed improvement of the standards of SEA Games' athletes, saying they lagged behind those of competitors in the Asian Games, whose member countries had taken steps to raise standards.
The Lao side presented its ideas for activities to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games - the origin of the SEA Games - including an Olympic Day run, in which each member country would send their athletes to participate, Mr Soudthanom said.
Today's SEA Games Council hopes to approve various issues discussed during the two-day executive committee meeting, among other issues.
The attendees toured the Lao National SEA Games stadium, which is under construction in Xaythany district, Vientiane . The stadium is now 35 percent complete and set for completion by June next year.
By Souksakhone Vaenkeo
Vientianetimes
