Indonesia seeks clarification over Malaysia's 2027 SEA Games sports list

Erick seeks clarification from Taufiq, saying the decision overlooks the efforts of regional athletes competing at the highest level

By WARTAWAN SUKAN SINAR

13 Nov 2026 05:06pm

Indonesia's Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir has written to his Malaysian counterpart Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari seeking clarification over the exclusion of several sports from the 2027 SEA Games programme.

INDONESIA'S Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir has questioned the spirit of sportsmanship following Malaysia's decision to exclude several Olympic sports from the 2027 SEA Games programme.

Erick described the decision as disappointing, saying it appeared to disregard the efforts of Southeast Asian athletes who had worked hard over the years to achieve success on the world stage.

He said several countries in the region had world-class athletes in sports also contested at the Olympics, including the Philippines in gymnastics, Thailand in taekwondo, Vietnam in shooting, and Indonesia in sport climbing and weightlifting.

"If these Olympic sports are not included, it would be as though we are doing a disservice to the athletes who have worked hard to raise their respective national flags," he said.

Erick said he had written to Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari to seek clarification and assurances that the host country would uphold the principles of fairness and sportsmanship.

However, Taufiq had previously stressed that there was no issue with the selection of sports, as the Games programme had been determined in accordance with the processes and regulations of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF), with the agreement of its member countries.

The 2027 SEA Games programme was finalised at the third SEAGF Executive Committee meeting on Oct 30, with 473 events across 43 sports confirmed.

The meeting was also attended online by presidents and representatives of National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from across the region.

The decision followed discussions involving the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), the Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee (MASOC) and the SEAGF Executive Committee, in accordance with the federation's charter and regulations.

Among the sports excluded from the 2027 SEA Games programme are sport climbing, rowing, beach volleyball, wrestling, chess, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, handball and triathlon, as well as several men's and women's team badminton events.