Philippines set to host SEA Plus Youth, Asian Beach Games

The Philippines is poised to host two major international sporting events in late 2027 and early 2028 as part of a broader push to boost sports tourism, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) announced Saturday.

A day after confirming Manila as host of the inaugural Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG), POC President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the country is also in line to stage the Asian Beach Games (ABG) in early 2028.

Tolentino said discussions with officials of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) resulted in the SEA Plus YG being scheduled for late 2027 instead of early 2028.

The ABG, Tolentino added, will follow in early 2028, although the specific host venue has yet to be announced.

“The Asian Beach Games will have its third edition this April in Sanya [China] so it will be two years after when we host the games in 2028,” Tolentino said.

He said hosting both events aligns with the Philippine Sports Commission’s intensified sports tourism campaign under chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio.

“We will submit both letters [of intent] to the OCA before its General Assembly later this month in Tashkent,” Tolentino said. “It’s a mere formality. After getting the official approval from the OCA, we’ll immediately be proposing to the PSC on hosting both events.”

The OCA General Assembly in Tashkent will also tackle Uzbekistan’s hosting of the 2029 Asian Youth Games.

The POC and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) are working in tandem under the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC), which was activated last year by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and is chaired by Gregorio.

“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 said.

Tolentino, who is also president of PhilCycling, noted that the national federation is hosting the Asian Cycling Confederation Track Championships in March at the newly built, Union Cycliste Internationale-standard Tagaytay City velodrome.

He added that expectations are high for Filipino athletes’ participation in upcoming international competitions, including the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics and the Sanya Asian Beach Games scheduled from April 22–30.

Also on the POC calendar are the Nagoya Asian Games in September and the Jeddah Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

The SEA Plus Youth Games are designed for athletes aged 17 and under and will feature two mandatory sports, a maximum of 12 Olympic sports, up to five Asian non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport with as many as six medal events.

Tolentino is the founding president of the SEA Plus Youth Games, which count Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Timor Leste as members.

The “Plus” refers to at least one invited Asian National Olympic Committee from another sub-region for each edition to raise the level of grassroots competition.

The Philippines is targeting Manila as host of the inaugural SEA Plus Youth Games in late 2027, positioning the event as a developmental platform for young athletes preparing for higher-level competitions.

The tournament is intended to be staged a year before the Asian Youth Games to help athletes transition toward continental and global events, including the Youth Olympic Games.

According to the POC, Olympic committee presidents from all SEA Games member nations have already endorsed the SEA Plus Youth Games concept.

“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.”

Beyond the SEA Plus Youth Games, Tolentino reiterated that hosting the Asian Beach Games fits squarely within the PSC’s sports tourism strategy.

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

The Philippines has already demonstrated its hosting capability, staging several major international events last year, 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 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 said.