Sri Lanka to Participate in Inaugural SEA Plus Youth Games

The National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC Sri Lanka) has confirmed that Sri Lanka will take part in the inaugural SEA Plus Youth Games, following a special invitation extended to selected Asian nations.

The announcement comes after Abraham Bambol Tolentino, President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, officially unveiled the new regional multi-sport event in Manila on March 9. The Philippines will host the inaugural edition of the Games from December 2 to 14, 2027.

The SEA Plus Youth Games will bring together young athletes from the 11 Southeast Asian nations, along with 12 invited Asian countries, creating a new competitive platform aimed at developing emerging sporting talent in the region.

Participating Southeast Asian nations are expected to include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, and the host Philippines.

The “plus” component of the Games refers to Asian countries outside Southeast Asia that have been invited to compete. These include Bahrain, Bhutan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Turkmenistan.

Suresh Subramaniam, President of NOC Sri Lanka, welcomed the invitation and confirmed the country’s participation:

“Although Sri Lanka is not one of the Southeast Asian nations that traditionally compete in the SEA Games, we received a special invitation due to the strong friendship between our Olympic committees. We are pleased to accept this opportunity for our young athletes.”

The SEA Plus Youth Games aim to provide young athletes with greater international exposure and a competitive pathway leading to major youth sporting events such as the Asian Youth Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

Speaking at the launch, Tolentino emphasized that the new event will help bridge a competitive gap by offering young athletes an additional stage to test their development against strong regional opponents before progressing to larger continental and global competitions.

With Sri Lanka’s participation confirmed, the Games are expected to provide valuable international experience for the country’s emerging athletes while further strengthening sporting ties across Asia.

Source - Ceylontoday.lk