SEA Regional Stage

Myanmar watchers looking for signs that the country is serious about returning to the regional stage now have two new yardsticks.

Here in Southeast Asia, where image is everything, countries can score special points when their turns come around as chair of ASEAN, the regional bloc, and as host of the SEA Games, the neighborhood athletic contest. This month and next, in a rare overlap, Myanmar will take on both roles.

Beginning January 1st, it will lead ASEAN. The country has never before held the annually rotating chair, despite joining this 10-member association 17 years ago. The last time Myanmar’s chance came around, in 2006, it opted out, bowing to strong pressure from the rest of the community because of its lousy human right record.

The SEA Games, which Myanmar has hosted twice before, but not since 1969, got underway a few days ago in several cities around the country. During the run-up to the competition, people debated Myanmar’s preparations: Is the infrastructure up to the challenge? Who came up with that weird slogan (“Green, Clean, and Friendship”)? Will anyone show up to watch?

Banners brandishing the slogan hang from lampposts all over town. Many hotels feature signs welcoming the athletes. But I haven’t sensed much enthusiasm on the ground for the sports themselves. Until last Saturday night, that is. The men’s soccer match between Myanmar and Thailand captivated the whole country. Awakening a rivalry that goes back centuries, the two teams scrapped to a draw in front of a Yangon crowd that had queued up all day to get into the stadium.

This week SEA Games t-shirts are everywhere. When Indonesia eliminated the men’s team three days ago, flashes of hooligan/patriot-ism erupted in parts of the city. Last night, I again heard cheers ring out all over the neighborhood. Tracking down a TV, I realized it was the Myanmar soccer women’s turn to play Thailand. The game turned out to be chock full of highlights.

Both teams played remarkably even for 90 minutes. Although the Thais led most of that time, it was hard to say which side was better. Myanmar tied the game just before the ref whistled, adding a 30-minute overtime. Again the Thais went ahead, and again Team Myanmar answered with only seconds to spare.

Which took the contest to penalty kicks—never a satisfying way to finish, but a necessary evil if you want to award a medal. The Myanmar goalie stopped the fourth Thai shot but the fifth Myanmar shooter hit the bar, meaning another round of five. From that point every kick went in until the very last. So frustrating for the poor 10th Myanmar player to watch her ball bounce off the hands of the Thai keeper!

Impressive performances like those of the soccer teams may have converted many folks who appeared earlier this month not to care about the SEA Games. And high medal tallies—only Thailand has more at this stage—whittle away at Myanmar’s well-earned black sheep reputation in the neighborhood. Those numbers also downplay the muttering that Myanmar couldn’t have done it alone (China contributed over $30 million toward the cost of putting on the events).

Most likely it won’t be 44 years until the games are hosted here again. The sporting success maybe even bodes well for Myanmar’s confidence as it wades into managing the thousands of meetings that come along with chairing ASEAN in 2014.