IOC and AFD allocate over EUR 1 million to fight youth crime through sport

28 November 2025 – More than EUR 1 million will be assigned to 11 organisations across Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to advance sport-based projects aimed at building safer and more resilient communities. They have been selected as the first grantees of the Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative, a groundbreaking programme initiated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Agence française de développement (AFD).

Key facts

• More than EUR 1 million will support community-led sports projects aimed at preventing youth crime and strengthening social inclusion.
• Grants were awarded by the IOC and AFD to 11 organisations across Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam through the new Southeast Asia Sport and Youth Crime Prevention (SYCP) Initiative.
• The announcement was made at the inaugural SYCP Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, held in the lead-up to the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in December 2025.
  

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the representatives of these organisations. We are honoured to welcome you to the conference as valued collaborators in advancing our shared mission,” said IOC Member Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, opening the SYCP conference. “Through these projects, we will be able to further create evidence how sport can be a driver for more resilient and safer communities by creating safe spaces for young people”.

Which 11 organisations have been selected for SYCP funding?

• In Lao PDR, the Community Health and Inclusion Association (CHIA) will work alongside the national Wheelchair Basketball Federation and Rugby Federation to deliver sports programmes designed to support young people at risk of entering the justice system.
• The Gender Development Association (GDA) will implement a multi-sport initiative in the remote province of Phongsaly, Lao PDR, fostering youth resilience and inclusion.
• Across the Philippines, A Child’s Trust is Ours to Nurture (ACTION) will use karate to support vulnerable young people.
• The University of San Jose – Recoletos, in collaboration with the justice and sport sector, will offer basketball coaching clinics and leadership training for out-of-school youth and those from at-risk communities.
• The Philippines Rugby Union will deliver its Pass It Back curriculum, which integrates non-contact rugby with leadership, gender equity and social-emotional learning.
• In one of Manila’s most densely populated urban communities, the Fair Play for All Foundation will strengthen resilience and inclusion through structured sports pathways and mentoring.
• In Thailand, the Playbook project delivered by PlayOnSide and the Dare Network will provide rehabilitation and reintegration pathways for youth in conflict with the law, as well as prevention and support programmes for migrant and refugee youth.
• A collaboration between the Thai Hockey Association and the NGO Nusantara will engage young people through sport-based life-skills training, mentorship and community initiatives through the Play for Peace on the Field of Hope project that strengthens social cohesion.
• Kenan Foundation Asia will use Pencak Silat martial arts to empower young people, women and marginalised groups whose vulnerabilities are exacerbated by economic hardship.
• In Vietnam, IRD VN and My Way Social Enterprise will collaborate on sport-based health and social interventions aimed at supporting high-risk adolescents.
• Football for All in Vietnam (FFAV) will expand its use of football to build life skills, promote inclusion and strengthen participation among marginalised children, with a particular emphasis on youth crime prevention education and increasing opportunities for girls.

What is the SYCP Initiative?

Launched by the IOC and AFD earlier this year and running until 2027, the SYCP Initiative aims to build safer and more resilient communities by harnessing the power of sport to prevent youth crime, support rehabilitation and strengthen social inclusion.

The implementation of the programme is being supported by a consortium coordinated by the Alliance of Sport in Criminal Justice. The initiative will also involve national networks of sport and criminal justice stakeholders in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. A regional Community of Practice will also be established to enable continuous learning through conferences, virtual webinars, an online knowledge hub and shared evaluation tools.

The SYCP Initiative aligns with the IOC’s Olympism365 strategy, which advances the role of sport as an enabler of sustainable development.

The inaugural SYCP conference

Convened by the IOC and AFD in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the inaugural SYCP conference aimed to deepen cross-sector partnerships, strengthen regional capacity and stimulate policy alignment and co-investment.

With the theme “Building Safer and More Resilient Communities Through Sport”, the conference examined how sport can support prevention, intervention and recovery, while also highlighting emerging evidence and shared practices from across Southeast Asia and around the world.