9 Sports You Probably Didn't Know Are Part Of The 2023 SEA Games
A total of 37 sports will be featured in this year's biennial event.
By Parvinsivam Thirunamakarasu — 26 Apr 2023, 11:44 AM
Only a week left before the 2023 Southeast Asia (SEA) Games begins on 5 May in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The Malaysian contingent will consist of 677 athletes, with a breakdown of 403 men and 274 women.
This year, a total of 37 sports will be featured in the biennial event.
Initially, 40 sports were planned but the number was reduced due to unknown reasons.
Among those sports are fan favourites such as badminton, football, and karate.
However, there are a few unfamiliar names in the list.
1. Finswimming
According to The World Games, finswimming is an aquatic sport event which involves swimming with the use of fins (either monofins or bi-fins) on the water's surface or underwater.
Do support our youngest athlete, 11-year-old Zara Aleesya Mohamad Suadi, who will be representing our nation in this event.
2. Ouk Chaktrang
Ouk Chaktrang or Cambodian chess, is the version of chess played traditionally in Cambodia.
The objective of the game is similar to classic chess, which is to capture your opponent's King. The pieces even have the same names.
The most significant difference is some pieces have different starting positions and moves.
Interested to try playing this form of chess? The digital version of this game is available to download for free on Google Play Store and the App Store.
3. Floorball
Often confused with ice hockey, this game was first developed in the 1970s in Sweden and has now spread globally to 75 countries.
According to Floorball ACT, it is an indoor sport with six players on each team — five field players and one goalkeeper.
The equipment used is lightweight, with plastic balls and sticks made of fibreglass, carbon composites, and plastic.
Floorball is said to be safer than other sports due its rules prohibiting body contact and stick checking.
4. Arnis
Arnis, also known as Kali or Eskrima, is a traditional martial art and the official national sport of the Philippines.
It involves weapons-based fighting with wooden bastons and edged weapons.
5. Kun Bokator
Kun Bokator or Kun Lbokator is considered to be the oldest martial art in Cambodia.
Dating back to the first century, it aims to develop the mental and physical strength and discipline of its practitioners through self-defence techniques and a philosophy of non-violence.
UNESCO states that Kun Bokator is widely practiced among Cambodians, regardless of their age, gender, and educational background.
6. Kun Khmer
Kun Khmer or Pradal Seray is a martial art believed to originate from the Khmer Empire era in 802 AD.
According to Siem Reap, it is a kickboxing form descended directly from early forms of Khmer fighting techniques.
In Cambodia, it is one of their national sports, which has been slightly altered from the ancient form to be more suitable for modern competitions.
7. Vovinam
Founded in 1938, this traditional Vietnamese martial art was initially crafted to train Vietnamese youths to defend themselves against French colonists.
Now it has become a popular sport and is taught in various countries such as Canada, France, Spain, and many more.
8. Pétanque
Pétanque or Boules is a sport where players are required to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball, while standing inside a circle with both feet on the ground.
According to This Is Petanque, the objective of the game is to score 13 points before your opponent.
Players can score points by having more metal balls closer to the small wooden ball than their opponent.
9. Teqball
Teqball is a football-based sport played on a curved table and is one of the newest emerging sports growing rapidly through each continent.
Players can score points with any part of their body, except their hands and arms.
The US National Teqball Federation mentioned that the sport aims to join the Olympics by the year 2028.
