Barely two days into the new year, the Philippine Olympic Committee has already set its sights on two major international sporting events, signaling the country’s growing presence on the global sports stage.
A day after announcing the Philippines’ inaugural hosting of the Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games, POC president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino revealed that the country will also host the Asian Beach Games in early 2028.
After email exchanges and phone consultations with the Olympic Council of Asia, Tolentino confirmed that the SEA Plus YG will take place in late 2027, advancing the schedule from the previously planned early 2028.
The venue for the ABG, he said, will be announced in due course.
“The Asian Beach Games will hold its third edition this April in Sanya, China, so our hosting in 2028 will be two years after that,” Tolentino explained.
Tolentino emphasized that both events align closely with the Philippine Sports Commission’s intensified sports tourism campaign, led by chairman Patrick “Patò” Gregorio. “We will submit our letters of intent to the OCA before its General Assembly later this month in Tashkent,” he said. “It’s mostly a formality. Once the OCA gives official approval, we’ll immediately propose hosting both events to the PSC.”
The Tashkent assembly will also review Uzbekistan’s plans to host the 2029 Asian Youth Games. For the Philippines, these upcoming events complement the National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee’s multi-pronged campaign, launched last year under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and chaired by Gregorio.
“These international competitions perfectly align with the NST-IAC’s goals, and the POC remains proactive in driving these initiatives,” Tolentino said. He also noted that the country will host the Asian Cycling Confederation Track Championships this March at the new UCI-standard Tagaytay CT Velodrome, under PhilCycling, where he serves as president.
Tolentino is optimistic about Filipino athletes’ performances in the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics next month and the ABG in Sanya from April 22 to 30. Other key events on the POC calendar include the Nagoya Asian Games in September and the Jeddah Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
The SEA Plus YG, designed for athletes aged 17 and under, will feature two mandatory sports, up to 12 Olympic sports, five Asian non-Olympic sports, and one traditional sport with a maximum of six medal events.
Tolentino, the founding president of the SEA Plus YG, said the “Plus” refers to inviting at least one Asian National Olympic Committee from outside the Southeast Asian subregion for each edition, providing additional competition for grassroots athletes.
Member countries currently include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Timor Leste, with the Philippines serving as the first host.
