The 26th edition of the South East Asian Games took place in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia from November 11th to 22nd, 2011. It was a remarkable event that offered athletes valuable competition experience and readiness for the upcoming Asian Games and Olympic Games. The games aimed to promote camaraderie, unity, and comprehension among neighboring countries in the region. Formerly known as the “South East Asian Peninsula Games,” this edition provided an excellent platform for athletes to showcase their talents.
Indonesia hosted the SEA Games for the fourth time, since its last in 1997. The 26th South East Asian Games was opened by President of the Republic of Indonesia, Pres. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at the opening ceremony held at Kuto Besak Fort in Palembang, South Sumatra. Susi Susanti served as the event’s Torch Lighter, while Dedeh Herawati led the Athlete’s Oath and Eko Sunarto led the Judge’s Oath. The biennial multi-sport event saw participation from 11 nations and had around 9000 athlete participants.
There were 545 events in 44 sports at the Games, including basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track. The closing ceremony was on November 22, 2011, at Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang, where the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia officially closed the Games. The Philippines had its lowest medal count in 10 years at the recent SEA Games. Our country was admitted to the SEAP Games Federation in February 1977.
During the 23rd South East Asian Games, held in our country, we emerged as the overall champion with a total of 291 medals. This marked the highest achievement of our nation in a decade. However, in the current season, we sent a team of 512 athletes to the Games. Unfortunately, our athletes only managed to bring home 169 medals – 36 gold, 56 silver, and 77 bronze. This performance is considered the worst in ten years for the Philippine team at the 2011 SEA Games.
The good news is that the Philippines dominated the Softball event, securing victories in both the Men’s and Women’s Division. The Philippine Sinag Team added another medal to their collection, earning their 15th overall medal in Men’s Basketball. During the second day of the competitions, Marestella Torres surpassed her own record from the 2009 Southeast Asian Games by achieving a distance of 6.71 m in the Women’s Long Jump. Looking ahead, Singapore has been chosen as the host country for the 27th South East Asian Games in 2013.
