East Timor started competing in the Southeast Asian Games in 2003 of the games in Hanoi, Vietnam .In that year, they became the youngest nation to compete, having gained independence in the year 2002; although not being an ASEAN member and despite its geographical location closer to the Pacific archipelago than the Asian continent, making its debut at the games.

[1] East Timor never hosted the Southeast Asian Games and best finished that the country attained is in 2011 Southeast Asian Games when the country won the first gold medal by Julianto Pereira and Dorceyana Borgesenth.

East Timor won three bronze medals, all in Arnis.

Elisabeth Yanti Almeida dos Santos had never played the sport previously before competing.

East Timor got its first ever gold medal since it joined the SEA Games.