A new regional youth sports competition is taking shape in Southeast Asia as Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino spearheads the creation of the Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games with the aim of strengthening the region’s Olympic development pipeline.

The SEA Plus Youth Games, also known as SEA Plus YG, is designed for athletes aged 17 and under and will be staged at least one year before the Asian Youth Games. The timing is intended to give young athletes early exposure to high-level international competition.

Tolentino is serving as the founding president of the initiative, which has already secured backing from nine national Olympic committees in the region. These include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines.

Support for the project also extends beyond Southeast Asia. Tolentino said the Olympic Council of Asia has pledged full institutional assistance following meetings with OCA Director General Dr. Husain AHZ Al-Musallam, who noted that participation remains optional for member nations.

Early competition to close the regional gap

The SEA Plus Youth Games is intended to be held biennially, aligning with the Asian Youth Games calendar. The inaugural edition is targeted for Manila in 2028, with future editions planned to follow the same two-year cycle.

Tolentino reiterated the urgency of formalizing the Games during official meetings and caucuses at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand last month. He said Southeast Asia must accelerate youth development to remain competitive against Asia’s traditional sporting powerhouses.

The Asian Youth Games is the second-largest multi-sport event on the continent after the Asian Games, drawing participation from 45 countries. Recent results have highlighted the competitive gap faced by Southeast Asian nations at the youth level.

Structure, invited nations, and Olympic ambition

Under the proposed format, the SEA Plus Youth Games 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.

The “Plus” component refers to the inclusion of at least one invited national Olympic committee from another Asian sub-region in each edition. The goal is to raise competitive standards by exposing Southeast Asian athletes to stronger external opposition.

At the third Asian Youth Games held in Bahrain last October, the Philippines won a record nine gold medals, finishing second among Southeast Asian nations behind Thailand. Thailand continues to lead the region overall, followed by Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Beyond the youth competition, Tolentino is also pushing for the evolution of the SEA Games into the ASEAN Games. He believes a unified ASEAN sporting identity could strengthen the region’s global influence not only in sports, but also on the economic and political stage.