11 December 2013
Last updated at 19:40 ET
So far, the host nation tops the medals table. Here's a quick rundown of some of the more unusual sports on display.
Kick volleyball
Five sports played at the Southeast Asian Games
The
Southeast Asian Games officially began on Wednesday in Burma, although
competition got under way last week. Eleven countries are contesting
this tournament, which began in 1959 and is held every two years.
Kick volleyball
Sepak Takraw has been ever present at the Games for the last
40 years. Unlike volleyball, players cannot use their hands and the ball
is made of rattan palms.
Wushu
The sport is played on sand at the Asian Beach Games
Several martial arts are contested at the SEA Games. Wushu
developed in China after the war. A school at Tianjin claims to have
taught students who have gone on to win more than 1,000 medals at
national and international competitions.
Chinlone
This is a combination of sport and dance, with a circle of six
players attempting to keep the ball in the air while executing - as
elegantly as possible - some complex moves, many of which take place
behind the player, with the heel, for example.
Traditional boat racing
There are usually two boat sizes, with crews of 10 or 20. Each
rower kneels in the boat and rows using a single-ended paddle, in a
sport reminiscent of dragonboat racing.
Petanque
This form of boules is played in several countries outside
France, including parts of Southeast Asia. It's a legacy of the French
colonial presence in the region.
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