A SEA Games for the youth? Philippine official proposes multi-sport meet for athletes aged 17 and below

Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox

Singapores athletes at the 2025 Asian Youth Games. The proposed South-east Asian Plus Youth Games aims to help athletes prepare for such events.

PHOTO: SNOC

Summary

• Philippines plans a new South-east Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG) in Manila 2028 for athletes aged 17 and under.
• POC President Abraham Tolentino leads the initiative to prepare athletes for Asian Youth Games and Youth Olympic Games.
• Nine SEA Games NOC presidents support the Games, with Singapore awaiting formal discussions about youth sport development.

AI generated

SINGAPORE – Plans are underway for the introduction of a multi-sport competition for the region’s youth athletes, aimed at helping them prepare for the Asian Youth Games (AYG) and Youth Olympic Games.

To be called the South-east Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG),the inaugural edition could be staged in Manila in 2028, reported several Philippine media outlets.

The reports said that Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino spearheaded the creation of SEA Plus YG, which will be held at least a year before the AYG for athletes aged 17 and under.

The AYG takes place every two to four years. Its most recent edition was held in Bahrain in 2025, with the next scheduled for Tashkent, Uzebkistan, in 2029.

According to the Inquirer.net, Tolentino will be the founding president of the Games and has already secured the support of eight other national Olympic committee (NOC) presidents of the SEA Games – Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar,