Indonesia's Olympic committee questions 2027 SEA Games sport exclusions
The Malaysia programme includes 473 events across 43 sports but leaves out several Indonesian medal strengths and badminton team events.
Indonesia's Olympic committee (KOI) has called for a balanced approach to selecting SEA Games sports after several Indonesian medal strengths were excluded from the 2027 programme in Malaysia. The Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF) executive committee approved 473 events across 43 sports on 30 October 2026.
The omissions include climbing, rowing and beach volleyball, alongside the men's and women's badminton team events. Wrestling, chess, jujitsu, kickboxing, handball and triathlon will also be absent. The programme is smaller than that of the 2025 Games.
KOI chairman Raja Sapta Oktohari said he respected SEAGF's authority and procedures, but argued that the selection should consider all member countries rather than only the host's organisational needs. In a KOI statement on 4 November, he said the inclusion of countries' strongest sports mattered not just for medal opportunities, but also for continuity in athlete development and the wider sporting ecosystem.
Oktohari said KOI wanted the Games to continue helping raise sporting standards in Southeast Asia. The Malaysia edition is scheduled for 18–29 September 2027, with competitions in Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Penang and Johor.
