Sports Ministry Plans Five-Year Youth Football and Volleyball Cup
Thailand's Sports Ministry approved a five-year plan to expand the Prime Minister's Youth Cup football and volleyball program through 2031, targeting over one million youth participants annually across the nation.
Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul chaired the first 2026 committee meeting for the Prime Minister's Youth Cup on September 7 at the Chalermprakiat Rajchakri Center in Bangkok, with representatives from key government ministries and agencies attending in person and online. The committee unanimously approved a proposal to present the Prime Minister's Youth Cup project to the cabinet for continuous operation during 2027-2031, aiming to establish youth football and volleyball competitions as a mechanism for nationwide youth engagement with organized sports. Three working subcommittees were approved to oversee the 2026-2027 competitions, led respectively by the Interior Ministry, Football Association of Thailand chairwoman Nualprann Lamsam, and Volleyball Association of Thailand chairman Somporn Chaibangyang.
The program targets recruiting at least 700,000 football participants and 350,000 volleyball participants annually, totaling over one million youth and sports personnel per year, to develop a sustainable base of athletes, coaches, referees, and sports professionals. The project will be promoted nationwide through provincial administrations and schools to ensure all communities and youth can access the program and field teams. Registration for the Prime Minister's Youth Cup Under-15 volleyball competition closes on September 12, 2026, with online registration available at pmyouthcupvolleyball.in.th.
