A member of NOC Indonesia’s executive committee has asked whether a boycott should be an option for the 2027 SEA Games in Malaysia, after sports that could win Indonesia medals were left off the programme, Indonesian media reported.

Krisna Bayu, who also chairs the Indonesian Sambo Association (PP Persambi), raised the question in a statement. iNews noted that a boycott is an option Krisna has put forward, not an official decision by Indonesia.

The SEA Games Federation (SEAGF) Executive Committee finalised 473 events across 43 sports for the Games at a meeting on 30 October. The 2025 edition in Thailand had about 50 sports and 573 events, iNews reported.

Sport climbing, rowing, beach volleyball, wrestling, chess, ju-jitsu, kickboxing, handball and triathlon do not appear on the SEAGF’s approved event list. Badminton has six events, including a mixed team event, but no men’s or women’s team event.

According to the reports, Krisna said the SEA Games were built on friendship, solidarity, healthy competition and fair play, and should not become a stage that benefits the host’s interests.

He said the issue went well beyond a reduction in sports and events, and touched on athletes’ rights, the future of sport and the dignity of Southeast Asian nations.

Krisna also pointed to Malaysia’s responsibility as host and the SEAGF’s role in deciding which sports are contested.

He asked whether Indonesia needed to take a firm stance, whether a boycott was an option, or whether it was time for the SEAGF to carry out sweeping reform.

NOC Indonesia had earlier said that dropping several of the country’s strongest sports could hurt its athletes’ chances of winning medals, iNews reported.

The Games will be held from 18 to 29 September 2027 across four clusters: Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Johor and Penang.

Krisna said the debate should not be measured only by the number of medals, and called for a focus on fairness for athletes and the future of Southeast Asian sport.