Five new sports added to the 34th SEA Games

The 34th SEA Games began to feel close when Malaysia, as host, received a delegation from the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) for a series of meetings to prepare the 2027 Games. The second SEAGF meeting of the 2025–2027 term, held from 15 to 18 July 2026 at Sunway Resort Hotel, was an important platform to align the country’s readiness with the regional sports body ahead of next year’s Games. The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), as the host National Olympic Committee, organised the meetings with SEAGF. The Malaysia SEA Games Organising Committee (MASOC) 2027 acted as the implementing body and the official reporter for the host country. That role for MASOC matters so that every decision, proposal and technical requirement agreed at SEAGF level is turned into real action and preparation in Malaysia’s organising work. Six SEAGF committees also met on 16 July, covering sport and rules, anti-doping, medical, women and sport, arbitration and broadcasting — part of the full run-up to the 34th SEA Games. Among the main decisions, five additional sports — kabaddi, DanceSport, teqball, padel and ice hockey — were added to the Games after the committee reviewed 30 proposals submitted through appeals from SEAGF member countries. Two new disciplines were also approved: chinlone under sepak takraw, and polo under equestrian. That brings the full programme of the 34th SEA Games to 43 sports, with no further additions after this. For MASOC, those decisions are an important guide to detail operational, technical, venue, broadcast and Games-management planning, and to report every development officially to SEAGF. The SEAGF Council meeting on 17 July approved the Executive Committee’s recommendations, giving Malaysia a clearer picture of the work it must now drive as host. The full list of events and the technical rules for each sport are expected in September 2026, so MASOC can tighten the delivery phase toward the 34th SEA Games, which will be staged across four clusters: Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Johor and Penang.