Wushu, jiu-jitsu out of 2025 SEA Games: S’pore athletes, officials shocked by news (2024)

SINGAPORE – Singapore athletes and officials have been left surprised and puzzled by the omission of karate, wushu, jiu-jitsu, lawn bowls and weightlifting from the roster for the 2025 SEA Games.

Hosts Thailand recently issued a proposed 40-sport programme after the SEA Games Federation sports and rules committee meeting in Bangkok, with the list including teqball and kickboxing, as well as demonstration sports such as flying disc and tug of war.

However, the exclusion of the five sports – including Olympic sport weightlighting, which Thailand is traditionally strong in – has drawn the ire of some nations.

Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation president Ang Mong Seng said: “We have not received any official news on this though we are shocked as wushu has been included in the SEA Games for many years now.

“We would like very much to find out the reason for the exclusion and we believe the affected wushu federations of South-east Asia will work with their respective Olympic councils to find a solution.”

Wushu was first added to the biennial event in 1991 and has been part of the SEA Games’ programme since, with the exception of the 1995 and 1999 editions.

Singapore has also enjoyed success in the sport. At the 2023 SEA Games, the Republic’s wushu exponents won two golds, three silvers and a bronze, placing third in the sport’s medal table.

Singapore Jujitsu Association president Henry Kothagoda told The Straits Times that he rang his Thai counterpart after hearing the news, and the latter reassured him that the sport will be a part of the 2025 Games. While he is still confused by the development, he noted that “our athletes will continue to train as per normal”.

Singapore’s jiu-jitsu exponents have won at least one gold medal in every edition of the Games since the sport made its debut in 2019. In 2023, they returned from Cambodia with a gold, silver and two bronzes. Jiu-jitsu athlete Aacus Ee, who competed at the Asian Games in 2023, has been hard at work preparing for his debut at the Dec 9 to 20 SEA Games in Bangkok, Chonburi, and Songkhla.

Ee, 28, who is also head coach at Carpe Diem Jiu Jitsu Singapore said: “It is disheartening because the SEA Games are something national athletes look forward to.

“It’s an opportunity wasted to get the gold for Singapore. In the meantime, I will keep training for it regardless.”

Responding to queries from ST, the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) noted that this is a preliminary list and it is working with the Singapore Sport Institute and national sports associations to submit an appeal for the inclusion of some sports.

The spokesman said: “They (Thailand) are open to consider including a few more sports in their sports programme... The Thailand NOC will review all requests and decide on the 2025 SEA Games’ sports programme by December 2024.”

According to media reports, the Philippine Olympic Committee has submitted an appeal to the hosts for inclusion of these sports, with the Olympic Council of Malaysia to follow suit.

One association that was not caught by surprise was Bowls Singapore, as its vice-president of high performance Edmund Lin pointed out that the SEA Games Federation had amended its charter to cap the number of non-Olympic sports at four starting from the Bangkok Games.

This rule was introduced to feature a standard programme to help regional athletes prepare for the Olympics and Asian Games. This was also triggered by host nations choosing to include traditional and unconventional sports like chinlone and fin swimming to inflate their medal tally.

But Lin noted that it is a setback for lawn bowls here, especially after the sport’s progress in the last few years with the number of bowlers increasing three fold.

In 2023, the national sports association was able to hold its first national youth (Under-25) tournament with about 20 participants.

“The SEA Games have always been an inspiration for new joiners and those in our academy so now it’s a bit of a setback,” he added.

The Games are also a reference point for selection for the Commonwealth Games and the association is looking to give athletes opportunities to compete, said Lin. In July, Singapore will host the Lion City Cup for participants from various countries.

Singapore also has a storied past in weightlifting, with its athletes winning medals at the SEA, Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic Games. When contacted, Singapore Weightlifting Federation president Tom Liaw said that they “have not received any information from our counterpart in Thailand but will seek further clarification from them and their NOC”.