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Simon grew up by the sea near Melbourne, Australia. After completing undergraduate and graduate studies in history, he spent seven years living and working in Asia, specifically Laos, Malaysia and Japan. Combining his background in history and interest in Southeast Asia, Simon’s Ph.D. research at the Australian National University examined the cultural history of sport and physical culture in modern Laos, particularly the ways that these fields have served colonialism, nationalism and socialism in the country. His Hakubi project expands on these themes by asking how sport has promoted regionalism in Southeast Asia. To do this, Simon will study the history of the Southeast Asian Games (founded in 1959). As well as shedding light on how sport fosters regional aspirations and refocuses regional rivalries, the SEA Games offers a unique perspective on region -wide themes in modern Southeast Asian history, such as nationalism, militarism and masculinity, and how these work with and against regional formation.