SEA Plus Youth Games
| Abbreviation | SEA Plus YG |
|---|---|
| First event | 2027 SEA Plus Youth Games in Manila, Philippines (planned) |
| Purpose | Youth multi sport event primarily for nations on the Southeast Asian subcontinent |
| President | Abraham Tolentino |
The Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games (SEA Plus YG) is a planned youth multi-sport event primarily involving participants from Southeast Asia.
History
Plans for a "SEA Games Plus" were first announced by the Indonesian Olympic Committee president, Raja Sapta Oktohari, on 25 December 2025. He pitched the proposal as an "expanded" SEA Games with the inclusion of countries of Oceania as well as Bhutan (which is where the "plus" in the event comes from). He argued that introducing this would support athletes in bridging the gap between regional and international events, focus on holding more Olympic sports over regional sports, and eliminating the possibility for host nations to tamper with the SEA Games charter to maximise medal hauls. The first edition is planned to be held in the Philippines in 2027.[1][2]
The plan was confirmed and clarified by the Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino on 1 January 2026. The tournament was clarified to be a multi-sport tournament for athletes 17 years old and below and will involve countries of Southeast Asia as well as one guest country from another Asian sub-region. It was reportedly established during meetings held during the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, with Tolentino named as the inaugural president. Nine National Olympic Committee (NOCs) have reportedly committed to the SEA Plus Youth Games.[3][4]
Participating NOCs
The imprimatur from the presidents of the following National Olympic Committee (NOCs) have reportedly been secured.[4]
| Nation | Code | National Olympic Committee | Created |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambodia | CAM | National Olympic Committee of Cambodia | 1983 |
| Indonesia | INA | Indonesian Olympic Committee | 1946 |
| Laos | LAO | National Olympic Committee of Laos | 1975 |
| Malaysia | MAS | Olympic Council of Malaysia | 1953 |
| Myanmar | MYA | Myanmar Olympic Committee | 1947 |
| Philippines | PHI | Philippine Olympic Committee | 1911 |
| Thailand | THA | National Olympic Committee of Thailand | 1948 |
| Timor-Leste | TLS | National Olympic Committee of Timor Leste | 2003 |
| Vietnam | VIE | Vietnam Olympic Committee | 1952 |
| Nation | Code | National Olympic Committee | Created |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka[5] | SRI | National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka | 1937 |
Editions
| No. | Year | Host country | Opened by | Date | Sports | Events | Na. | Com. | Top-ranked | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2027 | Philippines | President Bongbong Marcos (expected) | 2–14 December | Future event | [6] | ||||
Sports
The programme will consist of two compulsory sports, a maximum of twelve Olympic sports, a maximum of five non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport with up to six medal events.[7]
References
- ^ Azharie, Farah (28 December 2025). "Critics fear SEA Games Plus will turn Asean pride into Oceania's party". New Straits Times. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ Azharie, Farah (29 December 2025). "NSC chief says it's premature to discuss 'SEA Games Plus' idea". New Straits Times. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ Saldajeno, Ivan (1 January 2026). "Here's how SEA Games Plus really looks like according to POC". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Manila to host inaugural SEA Plus Youth Games in 2028". ABS-CBN News. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
- ^ "Sri Lanka NOC welcomes invitation to compete in SEA Plus Youth Games". Olympic Council of Asia. 12 March 2026.
- ^ "Philippines to host inaugural SEA Plus Youth Games in 2027". Tiebreaker Times. 9 March 2026. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "SEA Plus Youth Games to debut in Manila". Inside the Games. 3 January 2026.