Team Wales looks ahead to Commonwealth Youth Games 2027 in Malta

Team Wales is gearing up for the 2027 Commonwealth Youth Games following confirmation of the dates, venues and sporting programme for next year’s event in Malta.

Around 1,200 athletes aged 14–18 from 74 nations and territories are set to compete, with the games’ Opening Ceremony on Friday 29 October 2027, followed by six days of competition through to Thursday 4 November.

From a Team Wales perspective, the Games represent a key development opportunity for the next generation of athletes, offering international experience on the Commonwealth stage.

The 2027 edition will feature eight sports:

• Swimming and Para Swimming
• Athletics and Para Athletics
• Netball
• Sailing
• Squash
• Triathlon
• Water Polo
• Weightlifting

Malta 2027’s mark the debut of Sailing and Water Polo, and the Games are also set to deliver the largest Para sport programme in Commonwealth Youth Games history, building on the inclusion of Para Athletics at the most recent Games in Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinibago 2023 was the largest event in the Games’ history. Team Wales won Gold in the T38 100m (Tomi Roberts-Jones) and Bronze in the T38 Long Jump (Will Bishop).

In the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Wales won 28 medals across 15 sports.

Rebecca Edwards-Symmons, CEO of Team Wales, said: “The Commonwealth Youth Games are a vital stepping stone for our young athletes, providing them with their first experience of a multi-sport international environment.

“We’re particularly excited to see the continued growth of Para sport within the programme, as well as the introduction of new sports like sailing and water polo.

“Malta 2027 promises to be an inspiring and memorable event, and we look forward to supporting the next generation of Team Wales athletes as they take this important step in their sporting journeys.’’

Commonwealth Games Wales (CGW) is the lead body for Commonwealth sport in Wales and is responsible for selecting, preparing and leading Team Wales at the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Team Wales is one of only six nations that has competed in every Games since it began in 1930, then known as the Empire Games.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games were Team Wales’s most successful Games, winning 36 medals (10 Gold, 12 Silver, 14 Bronze), and finishing 7th on the medal table.