After a gap of 6 years, BIMP-EAGA will resume its biennial games this year. Athletes will gather in the city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, a top ecotourism destination in the Philippines, for the 11th BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games on 1 to 5 December 2024.
Launched in 1996, the games were designed to foster excellence and camaraderie in sports among young people in the subregion. It was first held in General Santos City in Mindanao, the southernmost region of the Philippines. There have since been 10 editions of the games with Brunei Darussalam’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan hosting the last one in 2018. The 11th edition was supposed to be held in 2020, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More than a hundred athletes and sports officials are expected to participate this year. Like in previous years, the Northern Territory of Australia, which is a development partner of BIMP-EAGA, was invited to join the games.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has started the technical and administrative preparations for the event. The PSC is the country’s lead agency for sports development under the BIMP-EAGA Socio-Cultural and Education Pillar (Vision 2025).
The BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games is one of the ways the subregion is promoting, preserving, and preserving its rich culture and heritage. The games include contemporary sports and traditional games. There are eight sports categories: pencak silat, sepak takraw, archery, swimming, badminton, esports, karate, and athletics.
Pencak silat describes a group of related Indonesian martial arts. Every part of the body is used and incorporates strikes, grappling, throwing, and the use of weapons.
Sepak takraw, also known as kick volleyball, is a uniquely Southeast Asian game played by two teams of players. They hurl a small woven ball over a net using any part of their body except for their arms and hands.
Aside from sporting events, BIMP-EAGA is strengthening socio-cultural development in the subregion through culinary and cultural festivals, such as the Budayaw festival of arts and culture. These activities are expected to broaden people’s appreciation for the different cultures in the subregion as well as promote trade and tourism.
The friendship games are always held in close partnership with the local government. In preparation for the event, the city government of Puerto Princesa is working toward receiving its halal certification to ensure that the needs of Muslim delegates will be met. This is not the first time that the city is hosting the competition. It was the venue of the 3rd edition in 2003. The city has been positioning itself as a sports hub, hosting international events such as the Ironman Asia TriClub Championship, International Dragon Boat Festival, and Motocross Masters of Asia.