The Philippines Olympic Committee (POC) eyes hosting the inaugural Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games in late 2027, as the region moves to establish a youth-centered competition aimed at preparing athletes for bigger international events.

The SEA Plus Youth Games will serve as a developmental platform for under-17 athletes, helping prepare them for the Asian Youth Games (AYG) and the Youth Olympic Games, with the tournament scheduled to take place a year before the AYG.

The SEA Plus Youth Games have already secured endorsement from the Olympic Committee presidents of SEA Games member nations Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Timor Leste, with POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino serving as the founding president.

The SEA Plus Youth Games are intended to be held in Manila in late 2027 and will be staged biennially thereafter to align with the AYG calendar. The Games are expected to feature two mandatory sports, a maximum of 12 Olympic sports, up to five Asian non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport with up to six medal events.

“The SEA Plus YG is Southeast Asia’s answer to molding athletes at the grassroots level, make them competitive at the AYG level and able and capable of winning medals at the YOG,” Tolentino said.

“Ultimately, the end goal is for these young athletes to have those strong foundations to contend at the Summer and Winter Olympics.”

Aside from the SEA Plus Youth Games, the POC is also looking to host the Asian Beach Games (ABG) in early 2028.

The Asian Beach Games, first held in 2008, feature sports commonly staged in coastal areas, including beach volleyball, sailing, and aquathlon.

Tolentino revealed that hosting these two major events aligns with the mission of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio to boost the agency’s sports tourism campaign.

Aside from SEA Games members, the “Plus” refers to at least one invited National Olympic Committee (NOC) from other Asian sub-regions for each edition of the Games, providing additional competition at the grassroots level.

Last year, the Philippines hosted a number of prestigious sporting events, including the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in September, the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, and the 3rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships, both held in November.

“These coming international events fit well with the goal of the NST-IAC and we at the POC are remaining pro-active on these efforts,” Tolentino added.