It will see young athletes from around the region compete on the international stage.
The Philippines will be hosting an international meet anew as the country’s capital, Manila, will become the venue of the first-ever SEA Plus Youth Games in 2028.
This regional meet is designed to develop athletes 17 years old and under as they compete in the larger Asian Youth Games and eventually, the Youth Olympic Games. The SEA Plus YG will be staged biennially to align with the AYG’s calendar.
“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,” said Abraham Tolentino, who heads the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
12 Olympic sports, a maximum of five Asian non-Olympic sports and one traditional sport with up to six medal events will be in the event that has received support from the Olympic Council of Asia and most Southeast Asian National Olympic Committees.
Aside from the 11 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), SEA Plus will also be inviting at least one country beyond Southeast Asia to participate.
The announcement of SEA Plus YG comes a few weeks after the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand concluded after a two-week-long run.
