title: BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games
text: # BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games
  
  The BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games is a sporting biennial event between the regions of the four member countries of the BIMP-EAGA. The inaugural edition of the games took place in General Santos, Mindanao, Philippines from 25–27 April 1996.
  
  ## History
  
  The former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos proposed the said subregional economic co-operation initiative between the border areas of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in order to accelerate the economic development between these countries. The planned cooperation came to fruition with the foundation of BIMP-EAGA on 24 March 1994. The first friendship game was inaugurated in General Santos, Philippines, on 25–27 April 1996. Subsequently, the second friendship games were held at Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia in 24–26 October 1997. The friendship games was in hiatus for 5 years and only made a comeback in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines on 23–26 April 2003.
  
  ## Participating countries
  
  | Nation / IOC Designation | Year Debuted | Urban Centres |
  | - | - | - |
  | Brunei (IOC designation: Brunei Darussalam) | 1996 | Bandar Seri Begawan |
  | Indonesia | 1996 | Kalimantan: Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Pontianak, Samarinda Sulawesi: Bitung, Makassar, Manado, Pare-Pare Maluku: Ternate Papua: Jayapura, Manokwari |
  | Malaysia | 1996 | Sabah: Kota Kinabalu, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Tawau Sarawak: Bintulu, Kuching, Miri, Sibu Labuan |
  | Philippines | 1996 | Mindanao: Davao City, General Santos, Zamboanga City, Cotabato City Palawan: Puerto Princesa |
  | Australia | 2018 | Northern Territory: Darwin |
  
  ## Editions
  
  | Year | Games | Host City | Date | 1st (gold) | 2nd (gold) | 3rd (gold) |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1996 | 1 | General Santos | 25–27 April 1996 | unknown | unknown | unknown |
  | 1997 | 2 | Kuching | 24–26 October 1997 | unknown | unknown | unknown |
  | 2003 | 3 | Puerto Princesa | 23–26 August 2003 | Mindanao (21) | Sabah (11) | Palawan (9) |
  | 2004 | 4 | Kota Kinabalu | 13–15 September 2004 | Sabah (32) | Sarawak (15) | Mindanao (14) |
  | 2006 | 5 | Makassar | 24–26 November 2006 | Sabah (19) | South Sulawesi (16) | Papua (7) |
  | 2008 | 6 | Bandar Seri Begawan | 28–30 November 2008 | Sabah (33) | South Sulawesi (13) | Brunei A (12) |
  | 2012 | 7 | General Santos | 8–11 December 2012 | Sabah (32) | Sarawak (18) | Mindanao (11) |
  | 2014 | 8 | Labuan | 6–11 December 2014 | Sabah (14) | South Sulawesi (10) | Sarawak (8) |
  | 2016 | 9 | Samarinda | 7–10 December 2016 | | | |
  | 2018 | 10 | Bandar Seri Begawan | 7–9 December 2018 | Sabah (23) | Brunei A (16) | Northern Territory (14) |
  | 2020 | - | Davao City | Cancelled |
  | 2023 | 11 | Davao City | 7–9 December 2023 | | | |
  