Singapore backs ‘kampung’ sports for 2015 SEA Games

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http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2013/6/1/sports/13179434&sec=sports

Singapore’s 2015 SEA Games organising chief on Wednesday rebuffed calls to standardise the tournament’s ever-changing list of sports and backed its strong regional character.

Lim Teck Yin acknowledged that the South-East Asian event had been derided as the “Kampung (Village) Games“, owing to its inclusion of home-grown disciplines like sepaktakraw and vovinam, which often mystify outsiders.

But he said it was important to maintain South-East Asian traditions, to engage local communities and develop sport in the emerging region.

“I don’t know whether my opinion matters or not ... I would say as a participant in many SEA Games in the past, the SEA Games has its own flavour,” Lim told reporters at a briefing.

Lim announced the 2015 tournament’s dates as June 5-16, but he said the list of sports to be contested would be kept under wraps until next year.

The list has previously proved controversial as it changes each edition, with local organisers often including obscure events in which they can win more medals.

Lim would not discuss which sports are shortlisted for 2015, but he said there would be more than 30 disciplines with dragon-boating, netball and floorball – a form of hockey – among those under discussion.