Jakarta, Oct. 21 -- Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir is advocating for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to include Olympic sports to boost athletic performance across ASEAN countries.

"We have voiced Indonesia's desire for the SEA Games to feature sports that are part of the Olympics," Thohir told reporters in Jakarta Tuesday.

He said the SEA Games should become a clear stepping stone toward the Olympics, with events aligned to the Olympic program. However, he acknowledged that host countries can add popular local sports.

"As hosts, they are free to add 10 or 15 sports. Every host wants to be the overall champion," he said.

Thohir said the proposal was presented by Deputy Minister Taufik Hidayat during the 8th ASEAN Ministerial M...