IASAS celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022. ISKL has been a participant since the beginning. The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) was created in the fall of 1982. The foundations of the organization were laid much earlier, with athletic events organized amongst several of the international schools in Southeast Asia. Singapore American School (SAS) and International School Bangkok (ISB), for example, competed in the Singapore-Bangkok Games, an annual multi-sport event that began in the spring of 1962.
Searching back far enough in each school’s sports history, uncovers instances before 1982 when each institution competed against another IASAS school. The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) requested to participate in the tournament in 1980, resulting in what was then called the Triangular Games. The notion of organizing an international school athletic conference began to take shape about this time.
The story goes that in 1981 then Head of School, Gail Shoppert, along with counterparts from SAS and JIS brought the idea to reality. Soon, Athletics Directors Al Daniel & Dave Hagan from ISKL and those from the other schools would come together to plan what we now formally call IASAS. The first events included ISB, ISKL, JIS and SAS and were held in October 1982.
Cultural conventions such as dance, Model United Nations, theater, and forensics, among others, were incorporated in addition to an athletics conference to provide co-curricular competitions that encouraged the passions of all types of students. IASAS is still evolving, in the 2021-2022 school year a Service convention was introduced.
There are 24+ sports and cultural conventions represented in all. Over the years, a healthy rivalry has developed amongst member schools, but more significantly, an unbreakable bond has developed between students, staff, and parent participants across school communities.
To commemorate 40 years of competitions, exhibitions, conferences, friendships, and memories, ISKL Alumni brings you #IASAS40for40. Read about the sporting events and cultural conventions for each season.
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
