SEA Games Cuts Put Medal Power in Host Hands

The South-east Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) approved a 2027 programme with 100 fewer medal events than the 2025 Games, leaving athletes in several sports without a chance to compete for those titles. The Games will run from Sept 18 to 29, 2027, across Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor.

Singapore Ju-jitsu Association president Henry Kothagoda said, “we are all very disappointed that ju-jitsu will not be included in the next SEA Games”. He said the national body and its ASEAN counterparts submitted appeals “as soon as we were made aware of this”. The appeals didn’t change the schedule.

The schedule is set at the top

The cuts remove entire sports: rowing, canoeing, traditional boat racing, kickboxing, ju-jitsu, chess, wrestling and handball. Other sports remain, but some events within them have been dropped. Fencing loses the men’s and women’s epee events, plus women’s sabre.

That decision closes the door on title defences by Juliet Heng, winner of the women’s individual sabre gold, and Elle Koh, winner of the women’s individual epee gold. The men’s and women’s epee teams also won’t be able to defend their titles in the dropped events.

Singapore won four gold medals, two silvers and one bronze in the omitted fencing events at the 2025 Games in Bangkok. Its fencers won a record haul of eight gold medals at that edition, but won’t have the opportunity to match that total in the same way in 2027.

Fencing Singapore president David Chen said the association “is in communication with the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and regional stakeholders regarding the event programme for the 2027 SEA Games”. He called programme adjustments “a routine part of the multi-sport games planning cycle” and said the association was engaging with organisers through official channels to advocate for a comprehensive schedule.

Fencing Singapore said Koh and Asian Games silver medallist Kiria Tikanah were “currently maintaining full focus on their rigorous training and upcoming international commitments” in response to interview requests.

Athletes absorb the cuts

Singapore won three bronze medals in chess at the 2025 Games. Kevin Goh, chief executive of the Singapore Chess Federation, said, “It is certainly disappointing news.” South-east Asia had produced strong chess players who succeeded against traditional powers internationally, he said. Goh also called it puzzling that chess had not become a regular SEA Games fixture, despite its growth and recognition by many NOCs in the region.

Singapore ju-jitsu athletes have won at least one gold in every edition since the sport’s debut in 2019. Jedd Tan won the country’s sole ju-jitsu gold at the 2025 edition, in the men’s fighting 77kg final. Kothagoda said the association would compete in other championships to keep athletes prepared for the next SEA Games in Singapore in 2029.

Vietnamese media also reported losses from the revised programme. Znews said Vietnam would lose the chance to defend approximately 30 gold medals across various sports, more than one-third of its 87 gold medals at the 2025 Games. Women’s futsal, where Vietnam won gold for the first time at that edition, is among the cuts. Wushu keeps taolu, or performance, but drops sanda, or sparring, where Vietnam had previously won two gold medals.

Host priorities shape the medal table

Critics have said SEA Games hosts have often manipulated programmes to include sports and regional disciplines where they hold a competitive advantage. Bowling, in which Malaysia has often thrived, will offer 22 gold medals in 2027, compared with six at the previous edition. Five sports made the programme after appeals: padel, dancesport, teqball, ice hockey and kabaddi. Padel will make its SEA Games debut.

The Olympic Council of Malaysia said the list of 473 events across 43 sports followed deliberations involving NOC Malaysia, the Malaysian SEA Games Organising Committee and the SEAGF executive committee, “in accordance with the SEAGF Charter and Rules”. The 2025 Games had 573 events across 50 sports.

An SNOC spokesperson acknowledged that the programme may not include every sport and event contested in the region, saying hosts must consider their ability to support and deliver competitions. The council urged national sports associations to keep developing athletes and preparing for other international competitions. The final schedule stands; athletes and their associations must plan around it.