Thailand’s pioneering role in setting up SEA Games

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00:00The SEA Games are back this December, but did you know that Thailand played a crucial

00:05part in starting them?

00:07In 1958, at the Asian Games in Tokyo, Thailand proposed a regional sports event to unite

00:13Southeast Asian nations.

00:14This idea led to the Southeast Asian Peninsula Games Federation, with six founding countries

00:20including Thailand.

00:21Thailand hosted the first Southeast Asian Peninsula Games Federation in 1959 in Bangkok.

00:28Over 500 athletes competed in 12 sports.

00:31Thailand has done well in the competition, winning several gold medals.

00:36The Games expanded, welcoming new countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, and the

00:41arrival of many Asian nations eventually led to the creation of the Southeast Asian Games

00:46or SEA Games.

00:47The SEA Games have gone from just 12 sports in 1959 to over 40 today, including traditional

00:53Southeast Asian sports.