Commonwealth Youth Games 2027 to be held from Oct 29 to Nov 4 in Malta

New Delhi — The Commonwealth Youth Games 2027 will kick off with its opening ceremony on October 29, followed by competitions from October 30 to November 4.

The event, to be hosted in Malta, is expected to see around 1,200 young athletes aged between 14 and 18, representing 74 nations and territories from across the Commonwealth.

The Games will feature eight sports, including swimming and para swimming, athletics and para athletics, netball, sailing, squash, triathlon, water polo, and weightlifting. Competitions will be held across seven venues spread over Malta and the island of Gozo.

Key venues include Cottonera Indoor Pool, Tal-Qroqq National Pool, Marsa Athletics Stadium, Marsa Sports Centre, Mellieha Bay, Gozo Indoor Sports Pavilion, and Marsalforn Bay.

Katie Sadleir, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Sport, said Malta 2027 promises an exciting and competitive atmosphere, adding that world-class facilities will offer young athletes a transformative experience and help nurture future sporting stars.

Malta’s Sports Minister Clifton Grima said the country has been investing in modern infrastructure to ensure top-quality training and competition venues, which will benefit not only the Games but also local communities in the long run.

The 2027 edition will also mark a milestone with the largest-ever para sports programme in the history of the event, building on the inclusion of para athletics in the previous edition held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.

Additionally, sailing and water polo will make their debut at the youth Games.

First held in Edinburgh in 2000, the Commonwealth Youth Games aim to provide a global platform for young athletes and serve as a stepping stone to elite-level competition. Since then, more than 6,000 athletes have participated, with the 2023 edition being the largest so far.

With inputs from IANS