KUALA LUMPUR: There's still a chance for karate, wushu, jiu-jitsu, lawn bowls, and weightlifting to be included in the 2025 Thailand Sea Games.
The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will submit an appeal to the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) over the exclusion of these medal-prospect sports soon.
During the recent SEAGF sports and rules committee meeting in Bangkok, Thailand proposed a 40-sport programme, including flying disc and tug of war as demonstration sports for the 33rd Sea Games, scheduled for Dec 9-20 next year in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla.
Surprisingly, Thailand have axed karate, wushu, jiu-jitsu, lawn bowls, and weightlifting from the programme.
OCM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said they are compiling feedback from respective national sports associations (NSAs) to submit the appeal before the Aug 31 deadline.
"According to SEAGF rules, host countries can suggest a list of sports after discussing with their government. The SEAGF council then gives final approval after considering appeals from other countries," he said at the World Taekwondo Kyorugi and Poomsae International Referee Seminar and Refresher Course at Wisma OCM on Friday.
"Firstly, the local NSAs must lobby for it, and then the sport must represent the majority of the 11 competing countries, with each event having a minimum participation of four countries.
"This is a process that everyone will have to follow, where the final list must be confirmed at least 15 months before the opening ceremony, which is Sept 9."
Commenting on the exclusion of weightlifting, Norza said it was due to doping violations in the host country.
However, with many countries wanting the popular Olympic sport to be included, he hopes the appeal will be granted.
For the record, the national contingent won 34 gold, 45 silver, and 97 bronze medals at last year's Phnom Penh edition, missing the 40-gold medal target and finishing seventh in the medal tally.
Thailand have listed the compulsory sports aquatics and athletics under Category I A, and Category I B includes archery, badminton, basketball, canoe & rowing, cycling, equestrian, polo, fencing, football, futsal, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, rugby, sailing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, wrestling, ice skating, ice hockey, and modern pentathlon.
Category II, comprising sports in the Olympics and Asian Games, consists of baseball & softball, billiards & snooker, boxing, floorball, eSports, muay thai, netball, pencak silat, petanque, sepak takraw & chinlone, and squash.
Under Category III, the host have listed teqball and kickboxing, while flying disc and tug of war will be demonstration sports.