Manila: The Philippines is set to host the Asian Beach Games in 2028. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino announced that after communications with Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) officials, the country will also stage the Southeast Asian Plus Youth Games in late 2027 followed by the Asian Beach Games (ABG) in early 2028.
According to Philippines News Agency, the POC had recently announced the creation of the SEA Plus Youth Games and the plans for Philippine hosting. Tolentino highlighted that the Asian Beach Games will have its third edition this April in Sanya, China. He noted that the Philippine events are aligned with the Philippine Sports Commission's (PSC) sports tourism campaign spearheaded by chairman Patrick 'Pat²' Gregorio.
Tolentino stated that letters of intent will be submitted to the OCA before its General Assembly in Tashkent later this month. The POC and PSC's collaboration is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s National Sports Tourism Inter-Agency Committee (NST-IAC), aimed at boosting sports tourism in the country.
PhilCycling, led by Tolentino, is set to host the Asian Cycling Confederation Track Championships this March at the newly built Tagaytay CT Velodrome. Expectations are high for Filipino athletes participating in upcoming international events including the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics and the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, China.
The POC has a busy calendar with the Asian Games in Nagoya and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh later in the year. The SEA Plus Youth Games will feature athletes under 17 years of age competing in a range of sports, enhancing regional grassroots sports competition.
Tolentino, the founding president of the SEA Plus Youth Games, emphasized the involvement of members like Thailand, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian nations, with the 'Plus' indicating invited Asian NOCs for broader competition.
