SEA Games: Netball and Rugby 7s in for 2015

SINGAPORE - The last time Singapore hosted the South-east Asia (SEA) Games in 1993, the Republic's athletes bagged a record haul of medals.

A total of 164 medals was mined by the athletes then, with 50 of them gold.

When the biennial Games returns to the Republic in 2015, hopes of bettering that haul have been boosted, with sports like netball and bowling set to feature on the roster.

The two were among 30 confirmed sports announced after a SEA Games Federation Council meeting at the Thingaha Hotel in Naypyidaw yesterday.

Also on the list was Rugby 7s, which will make its Games debut in Singapore.

Netball Singapore executive director Cyrus Medora hailed the announcement.

CONFIDENT

He said: "We are definitely aiming for the gold medal and are confident that we can fill the venue with supporters because we have been engaging a lot of schools and clubs.

"The average attendance at the recent Nations Cup was also 50 or 60 per cent higher than the previous edition."

The Singapore netball team finished second behind Uganda at the recent Netball Nations Cup.

They won the Asian Championships in Sri Lanka last year, and will be defending their title at the spanking new Sports Hub next year.

Low Teo Ping, president of Singapore Rugby Union and newly-elected vice-president of the Asian Rugby Football Union, welcomed the inclusion of Rugby 7s.

He said: "It doesn't quite come as a surprise since we've been talking about this for some time, but rugby sevens is now an Olympic sport so it's even more important that we have it at the SEA Games as well."

Addressing the media after yesterday's meeting, Chris Chan, secretary general of the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), explained that he had given the SEA Games Council the list of 30 sports two months ago with the hope it would be endorsed during yesterday's council meeting.

He added: "We promised to look into the other requests like appeals for certain sports, which we'll get back to (the) Council.

"So now, we'll go back and address the additional six sports or so to add to the list... But for a start we have the 30 and Singsoc (Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee) can go ahead and start working."

Boxing and weightlifting, two sports that are part of this years' Games, are not on the confirmed list for 2015.

But Chan says they still have a chance of being on the final list - which could have up to 38 sports - which will be decided next April.

The two are among several sports that have been lobbied by various council members and are being considered by the SNOC.

Petanque and rowing are among the excluded sports that have had strong calls for inclusion. Chan said petanque will almost certainly be on the final list and floorball is a strong contender.

Chan said the appeals will be discussed - along with the number of events in each of the 30 confirmed sports - at the SEA Games Council meeting on Feb 15.

He said: "The events are very important. They are what determine the number of medals and the size of the Games, not the sports."

msazali@sph.com.sg

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