10 MARTIAL SPORTS TO BE COMPETED IN THE 23RD SEA GAMES

The insignia of the 23rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games depicts the Philippines' symbolic flag and colors with a mask that symbolizes one of the country's rich culture, the Masskara Festival of Bacolod City.


SEA GAMES HISTORY

The biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games is the largest multi-sport event in the region, next to the Asian Games. It evolved from the South East Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games, a brainchild by Thailand Olympic Committee VP Laung Sukhumnaipradit, which was first held in 1959 in Thailand. Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam were the 6 six original countries to compete in the games. The SEA Games was started to strengthen political, economic, and social ties with the different nations of the region.

In 1977, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei Darussalam joined the 9th SEAP Games in Malaysia, which prompted the renaming of the event to its present name. Later Cambodia and Timor Leste also joined.

The flags of the participating countries:


Brunei Darussalam


Cambodia


Indonesia


Laos


Malaysia


Myanmar


Philippines


Singapore


Thailand


Timor Leste


Vietnam


THE PHILIPPINES

The 23rd SEA Games scheduled from November 27, 2005 to December 2005 will be the 3rd time the Philippines is hosting the games. The first two were during the 11th and 16th editions of the games on December 6-15, 1981 and November 24-December 3, 1991.


MARTIAL SPORTS EVENTS

41 sports will be competed in the games. 10 of these are martial sports. Martial sports (and their venues) included in the games are arnis (Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila), fencing (Pasig Sports Center, Pasig City), judo (Mandaue Coliseum, Cebu), karatedo (Mandaue Coliseum, Cebu), muay Thai (GSIS, Manila), pencak silat (Cebu Coliseum, Cebu), taekwondo (Cuneta Astrodome), western boxing (University of St. La Salle Coliseum, Bacolod City), wrestling (San Andres Gym, Manila), and wushu (Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila).

For more info on the 23rd SEA Games, please visit:
http://www.2005seagames.com.ph/
http://www.cebuseagames.com/
http://www.bacolodseagames.com/