A proposal has been put forward to create a version of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) that would include Oceania nations such as Australia and New Zealand.
The most recent edition of the SEA Games, a biannual multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia, was held in Thailand from 9th – 20th December and this year incorporated all three Olympic equestrian sports, including eventing, held at the Thai Polo Club in Pattaya.
The same venue hosted the FEI Asian Championships just two weeks prior.
Since then, the President of the Indonesian Olympic Committee, Raja Sapta Oktohari, has suggested that an additional SEA Games, to be known as SEA Games Plus, should be held with a focus on Olympic sports. As well as the 11 countries that currently take part in the SEA Games, it is proposed that Oceania countries such as Australia and New Zealand would also be invited to take part.
If the plan is approved, the inaugural SEA Games Plus would take place in the Philippines in 2028, a year after Malaysia hosts the 34th edition of the SEA Games. Whether equestrian sports would be included in either SEA Games is unknown but there is no doubt that there is a growing appetite for eventing in Asia generally with riders from China, Japan, Thailand, India and Hong Kong regularly making their mark on the competition stage around the world.
The 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya takes place in 2026 from 20th September – 4th October with all three equestrian disciplines to take place at the Tokyo 2020 venue of the Baji Koen Equestrian Park
The biannual Oceania Eventing Championships between Australia and New Zealand will take place at the Adelaide Equestrian Festival from April 16th – 19th 2026.
