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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider PH to host first-ever SEA Plus Youth Games

PH to host first-ever SEA Plus Youth Games

Published Mar 9, 2026 08:03 pm
(POC)
(POC)
By CHRISTAN SALVANA
INTERN
True to their promise of promoting sports among the youth, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino and Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio announced on Monday, March 9, that the country will host the inaugural Southeast Asian (SEA) Plus Youth Games next year, from Dec. 2 to 14.
“This is my gift to the Philippine sport, the SEA Plus Youth Games,” said Tolentino.
“This is not just a preparation for our Asian Youth Games young athletes, but also for our Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy athletes. So, their developmental period continues or has sustainability,” he added.
The biennial tournament, which caters to athletes aged 16 and under, will feature Central and East Asian countries such as Bahrain, Bhutan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Macau, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Turkmenistan.
Host country Philippines, and fellow ASEAN neighbors Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam are also on the list.
Just like the Olympics, mandatory centerpiece sports like athletics, swimming, triathlon, judo, boxing, golf, taekwondo, skateboarding, wrestling, fencing, basketball, tennis, and gymnastics are included.
Non-Olympic sports jiu-jitsu, billiards, dance sports, mixed martial arts, and traditional sports are also in the haystack.
Gregorio, who is adamant about developing sports and tourism in the country, will head the said event.
“This is what we’re talking about — sports tourism. People visit and see our country all because of sports,” said Gregorio.
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