MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) plans to host the first Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG) in Manila in 2028, POC officials announced.
The multi-sport competition will target athletes aged 17 and under and aims to prepare them for the Asian Youth Games (AYG) and Youth Olympic Games (YOG). POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will serve as the founding president of the event.
Tolentino said he has secured support from nine of the 11 National Olympic Committee (NOC) presidents in Southeast Asia, representing Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.
“The SEA Plus YG is Southeast Asia’s answer to molding athletes at the grassroots level, making them competitive at the AYG level and able to win medals at the YOG,” Tolentino said. He added that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has pledged full support for the initiative.
The inaugural games will be held at least one year before the AYG and are expected to occur biennially thereafter. The program will include two mandatory sports, up to 12 Olympic sports, up to five Asian non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport with up to six medal events.
Tolentino explained that the “Plus” in the competition’s name refers to the inclusion of at least one invited Asian NOC from outside Southeast Asia in each edition to provide added competition for the region’s athletes.
He described the SEA Plus YG as an “elite-level, developmental and culturally unifying multi-sport event” designed to establish strong foundations for athletes aspiring to compete in the Summer and Winter Olympics.
