Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Patrick C. Gregorio (left) and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham Tolentino during the Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games press conference, March 9, 2027, at the PSC Media Center at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Rom Anzures, ABS-CBN News. MANILA — The Philippines is set to host a historic sporting event aimed at shaping the next generation of athletes.
Scheduled from December 2 to 14, 2027, the country will host the inaugural Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games, a regional tournament for Under-17 athletes held a year before the Asian Youth Games.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will serve as the organization’s founding president, while Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio will lead the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) as its president.
“This is my gift to sports. Ito ang iiwan ko sa youth ng Pilipinas,” Tolentino said during a press conference at the PSC Media Center in Manila on Monday.
Aside from the Philippines, the Southeast Asian nations expected to compete include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
The “plus” refers to Asian countries outside the region that are invited to join the inaugural edition. Invited nations include Bahrain, Bhutan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Turkmenistan.
The proposed events are divided into four categories:
Mandatory Sports: Aquatics and Athletics.
Olympic Sports: Triathlon, Judo, Boxing, Golf, Taekwondo, Skateboarding, Wrestling, Fencing, Basketball, Tennis, and Gymnastics.
Non-Olympic Sports: Jiu-Jitsu, Billiards, Dance Sport, and Mixed Martial Arts.
Traditional Sports: Arnis.
Both Olympic and Non-Olympic Sports are expected to add one more event each.
Proposed venues for the SEAP YG include the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the new SMX Convention Center in Pasay, the New Clark City Aquatic Center and Oval, Subic Bay Freeport, and the Tagaytay Skate Park.
Stronger Grassroots Program
For Tolentino, the SEAP YG will help athletes developed in the Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy programs further hone their skills before stepping onto bigger stages such as the Asian Youth Games and the Southeast Asian Games.
“Nag-iisip po ako: ‘Bakit parang kulang?’ So baka pwedeng gumawa kami ng sariling ASEAN youth games. Not only para may preparation for AYG, pero para may karugtong yung Palarong Pambansa at Batang Pinoy,” he said.
“Ito na yung developmental, grassroots. Ito yung preparations, kasi alangan naman isalang mo agad sa SEA Games. Ito ang magandang preparation,” Tolentino added, noting that it will be up to the National Sporting Associations (NSAs) how they field their respective teams for the events.
The POC chief also expressed confidence that the inaugural SEAP YG will be the first of many, with plans to make it a biennial meet.
“Hopefully, magtagal. Kung ayaw ng iba, tayo ulit. Walang problema doon, pero I doubt,” he said.