Selection Criteria for 33^rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games
9 to 20 December 2025
Version as of 23 September 2024

1. Nomination Criteria

• NSAs seeking to nominate athletes for the Games should establish qualifying standards and criteria, at least 13 months before the Games. These are open to all athletes and they should satisfy these standards in the NSA sanctioned championships. NSAs are required to submit their NSA Selection Criteria to SNOC/SSI for endorsement before publication.
• NSAs should state clearly in the nominations via SportSync at least 6 months before the Games, the justification for the athletes to be selected.
• Athletes must be Singapore Citizens, and should not be holding dual citizenship if they are above 22 years old, at the time of nomination.

2. Selection Criteria

Subject to the other considerations listed at paragraph 3 below, the following criteria shall be applied in the selection process:

• Athletes who have currently achieved at least 3rd placing e.g. time/distance/score/mark of the 2023 SEA Games. For team sports, they should currently be ranked 3rd among the SEA Games countries.
• Athletes/Teams who miss the qualifying standard marginally but show potential to equal or surpass it in time for the Games.
• All achievements submitted for consideration should have taken place at international competitions sanctioned by the International and/or Regional controlling bodies, but NSAs may submit the achievements from overseas championships and meets of athletes studying in overseas tertiary institutions. However, these have to be properly accredited and sanctioned to be accepted.
• All achievements should be achieved from 1 October 2024 up to 5 September 2025, which is 2 weeks before the 19 September Entry by Name deadline, as the nominations have to be submitted to the SNOC Appeals Committee for approval before the deadline.
• Pursuant to the Olympic Charter (By laws to Rules 27 and 28, paragraph 2.1), “Selection shall be based not only on the sports performance of an athlete, but also on his ability to serve as an example to the sporting youth of his country.”

3. Other Considerations

In addition to the above selection criteria, the following “qualities” of the athletes will be taken into consideration:

• Attitude and behavior towards coaches, teammates, fellow athletes, officials and sports administrators, whether in relation to sporting matters or otherwise.
• General conduct and character which may affect the reputation, image, values or best interests of the athlete or the sport.
• Past disciplinary record;
• Current skill level and fitness; and character
• Level of commitment and attendance.
• Potential for future development;
• Ability to demonstrate team spirit and work well with teammates and officials; and
• Such other non-performance related qualities as the selectors may consider to be relevant.

4. Extenuating Circumstances

In consideration of the performance and “qualities” of athletes, the selectors may at their discretion give consideration to extenuating circumstances. For this purpose, “extenuating circumstances” mean an inability of the athlete to compete in and/or attend event, training camps or other required attendances arising from:

• Injury or illness.
• Equipment failure.
• Travel delays.
• Bereavement; and
• Such other circumstances as the selectors may consider to be relevant.

5. Selection and Appeals 

• The SNOC Selection Committee will meet in July 2025 (subject to the Organising Committee’s confirmation of the Accreditation deadline) to discuss the nominations from NSAs and select athletes/teams for the Games.
• NSAs can submit appeals to the SNOC Appeals Committee for athletes/teams who are not selected at the Selection Committee.  In the appeals, NSAs have to provide new information that meets the selection criteria, information which had not been previously submitted to the Selection Committee.