The Southeast Asian Games or SEA Games as is popularly known, owes its origins to the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games or SEAP Games. The SEAP Games was conceptualised by Laung Sukhumnaipradit, the then Vice-President of the Thailand Olympic Committee. The proposed rationale was that a regional sports event will help promote cooperation, understanding and relations among countries in the region.
The founding members were Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia (with Singapore included thereafter). The member countries agreed to hold the Games every alternate year. An oversight committee called the SEAP Games Federation Conmmittee was created.
The first SEAP Games in Bangkok from 12 to 17 December, 1959 saw 527 athletes and officials from Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Laos participating in 12 sports.
At the 8th SEAP Games in 1975, the SEAP Federation voted to consider the inclusion of Indonesia and the Philippines in the Federation. This inclusion was formalised in 1977. With this the next games was called the 9th SEA Games, and the SEAP Games Federation assumed its present name as SEA Games Federation. The present member countries stand at 10, with the inclusion of Brunei at the 10th SEA Games.
