SOUTHEAST ASIAN (SEA) GAMES
WEEK
6: SOUTHEAST ASIAN (SEA)
GAMES
INTRODUCTION
Southeast Asian Game or we know as SEA Games (SEAG) is one of a biennial multi-sport event that involve 11 countries of Southeast Asia or ASEAN members. Before this, SEA games also known as Southeast Asian Peninsula Games or SEAP Games. SEAP or SEA Games was established on 1958. Where on 22nd MAY 1958 they attended the 3rd Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan and make agreement about this sports organization. For the next year the SEAP or SEA Games was being held at Bangkok Thailand and then this SEA Games will be held every 2 years. Actually, the name of SEAP Games was use only from 1958 until 1975 and after that, start from 1977 it changes to SEA Games and use it until now. This multi-sport event was promoted to Southeast Asian peninsular countries. At first, Thailand, Myanmar), Malaysia Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia agree to join this event and they start it next year. After that it follow by Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippine and Timor-Leste. Through Sea Games it helps ASEAN member make a relationship especially in diplomatic. In this article, we will know more about this SEA Games and understand the key features of it. The formation and growth of institutions and norms that allow this event to thrive in the face of national self-interest is particularly noteworthy.
ETERNAL
FRIENDS AND ERSTWHILE ENEMIES: THE REGIONAL SPORTING COMMUNITY OF THE SOUTHEAST
ASIAN GAMES
“WHAT”
As we
know, The Southeast Asian Games is also known as the SEA Games. The SEA Games
have their own specification and purpose under regulation of the Southeast
Asian Games Federation with supervision by the International Olympic Committee
and the Olympic Council of Asia.
On
top of that, the sports that have been organize in this biennial multi-sport
event have built and enhance the social, cultural, and historical approaches
among the ASEAN. It also leads to both national and international identities.
For example, the SEA Games 2019 which is the 30th South-East Asian Games was
held in Philippines. The approaches proven when the theme that have been used
was bubbly and playful mascot “Pami”. It depicts the unity and cooperation of
every nation, sport, and person supporting each other at the games. At the same
time, official slogan and theme song was “We win as one”.
The
fundamental principle of the SEA Games is adopted from Olympics which is to
ordering of human diversity and essentialized national units. Moreover, Olympic
can promotes national identities as well as support universal attributes of
humanity. However, SEA Games that established by ASEAN is slightly different
where it is to support privilege principles of reciprocity in hosting rights,
strategic selection of sports and secure government funding. Furthermore, SEA
Games also applied sporting principles which includes merit, fair game played
and the equality of conditions of competition to ensure the integrity among the
participants and managements. Prime Minister of Thailand has stated that SEA
Games seek to strengthen the internal relations among countries that exist in
the Peninsular.
On top of that, the plans of established
SEA Games were originally from US Information Service (USIS) officer which is
David Ditcher who was a coach Thai national track team. David Ditcher believe
that regional competition can enhancing performance and promote better relation
among ASEAN members countries. This event is well linked with USIS aims which
is to enhancing America’s image, decreasing communism’s appeal and
strengthening relations among non-communist nations in the region. Moreover, it
also can reinforce the Thai policy of containing Vietnamese communism through
promoting regional cooperation with other non-communist neighbours.
“HOW”
Thirteen guiding principles are
agreed on provisional list after the Tokyo meetings of 1958. The first time of
SEA Games was implemented is every two years between the Asian Games and
Olympics. Hosting country would be getting by turn according to alphabetical
order. The first SEA Games was held in Bangkok meanwhile for second time was in
Burma. Laos then declined for hosting SEA Games due to the financial
constraints and Malaysia or Malaya at that time as the hosting country for the third
edition of SEA Games. Meaning that, the small countries will not be prohibited
to become the hosting country for SEA Games and it depends for them to host the
game or just to send their athletes for the tournament like Laos at that time. It
is because the hosting country will be spent over a million $USD, and this
would be disadvantages to third-level country.
IMPACT
OF SEA GAMES
SEA
GAMES can accelerate unity of people and ASEAN member through sport.
This is because sports are one of the things that place in community preference
where they love to stay active and being healthy. Sports
are easier term to tolerate and less sensitive of issues. People may readily
attach to it, and it easily attracts to a large number of people. Sports could
be utilized to enhance member states' and the community's health, social, and
economic results. The observations would also allow the development of regional
sport collaborations and partnerships throughout the region. Through this sport
we can see as simple and easiest but effective ways of ASEAN country to create
a foster relationship among the citizen. This programmed will encourage fully
participation both from athlete and also supporters as will help to leveraging sport development efficiently.
Once one of the country conduct sport programmed the invited others country, we
assured it will lead ASEAN cooperation on sport and also it can achieve
successful of ASEAN goals and foster cooperation between the country through
sport. This is the best platform to
unite the people in the country regardless of their backgrounds to support the
nation’s heroes and heroine. Besides, this programmed also will
make ASEAN country work together as one ASEAN to achieve and realize on region
sporting aspiration. The SEA Games
are the ideal setting for countries to share their collective experience from
the past, present, and future. Through this sport also can help the ministerial
get a better interaction and dialogue with other ASEAN country effectively.
They can easily exchange their view and opinion within each other on issues to
pertain sports as a main effective of regional integration. For example we can see on SEA Games that have
been conducted by Malaysia. This programmed had been given impact towards the
people and other countries where they able to create cooperation and highly
supportive team that support each of the participants. It
shows that when all 11 counties of ASEAN member get together not
just to compete in the games but also to celebrate the formation of the ASEAN
community. They will generate excitement, memories, and a legacy of friendship
and sportsmanship via the games. This will lead how community and people and
being cooperate and unite within country and other country. It also will design
by instill sportsmanship and strengthen ties between ASEAN members.
Through Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games, it helps to boost the economics of ASEAN members. The
rotation of hosting rights which is based on alphabetical order will give
advantage to that country to generate and increase their economic development,
which is fit with the aim of establishment of ASEAN. The hosting country need
to bear a large amount of money in term of providing the facilities to all the
athletes and management such as hospitality, health and others. Although it
will incur such big costs to make it happen as well as make sure that the
events could be done perfectly and give the best reputation for that hosting
country, yet still the hosting SEA Games was expected to give something in
return for that host country. That hosting country will increase their economic
through the tourism sector and hotel sector that will help to generate income
for the country. As we need to know, tourism sector in one of the sectors that
contribute a lot in the economic development of the country. A large of visitor
numbers will land in that hosting country to give support for their athletes.
Apart from that, small industries which sell souvenirs also become one of the
attractive for the visitors to buy. These small industries also involve in
increasing the economic growth in their country. Besides just watching the SEA Games, they
also will find the opportunity to explore or visit interesting places in that
country. For instance, when Malaysia becomes the host of SEA Games, the
visitors also took chance to visit places around Kuala Lumpur such as National
Museum, Kuala Lumpur Towers and many more interested places. This can be
supported with the information from the website which is stated that when
Beijing becomes the host for Olympic, Beijing spent about $34 billion and after
that games, they get additional revenue from the visitors. So, it has been
proven that hosting SEA Games can boost the economics of the country.
Malaysia as host of
SEA Games 29th
Last but not least,
SEA Games also becomes one of the platforms for ASEAN members to increase
the quality of sport. Along with that, this sport organization which is SEA
Games also can enhance the performance of their athletes. In order to enhance
the quality of sport in their country, a lot of things can be done such as
improvement in term of facilities, enhance training for athletes and also early
exposure for athletes to make sure they can be prepared when joining the
tournament. All the improvement can be made when they are in that ASEAN country
that becomes the host for this big game. Through SEA Games, all the ASEAN
members will compete among them to show which countries are more powerful in the
sport sector. SEA Games will take place in all the ASEAN countries that
practice rotation hosting will enable them to make improvement in term of the
facilities and training for their athletes in term to increase the quality of
sport. For example, when Malaysia becomes the host for SEA Games in 2017, the
other ASEAN members can explore the facilities in Malaysia and can made some
improvement in their country. What’s good in Malaysia, they can practice in
their country and make some improvement to make sure that they can increase the
quality of sport in their country. SEA Games can be one of the platforms for
the country to enhance the level of their athletes. It can be regarded one of
the exposures for them to be prepared before entering big tournament such as
Olympic Games. Through SEA Games, it also can enhance the communities to stay
fit and active that will drive them to a healthy life.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the
regional sporting community have increase when the SEA Games launched the ASEAN
Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community, and the ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Community in 2015. When one of the countries conduct a special
event of sport the invited those others country, we confident that through this
programmed it will lead ASEAN cooperation on sport and also it can achieve a
greater successful of ASEAN objectives, peace and integration between the
country through sport effectively. This programmed will make ASEAN country work
together as one ASEAN to achieve and realize on region sporting aspiration. Through
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, it helps to boost the economics of ASEAN members. Although
it will incur such big costs to make it happen as well as make sure that the
events could be done perfectly and give the best reputation for that hosting
country, yet still the hosting SEA Games was expected to give something in
return for that host country. So, it has been proven that hosting SEA Games can
boost the economics of the country.
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