WThe 2012 Arab Junior Athletics Championships was the fifteenth edition of the international athletics competition for under-20 athletes from Arab countries. It took place between 16–19 May at Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan. It was the first time that Jordan hosted the event. A total of 42 athletics events were contested, 21 for men and 21 for women. The men's 10,000 metres and women's 5000 metres were dropped from the programme for this edition.
WThe 2012 Asian Junior Athletics Championships was the 15th edition of the international athletics competition for Asian under-20 athletes, organised by the Asian Athletics Association. It took place from 9 to 12 June at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka – the same venue hosted the 2002 Asian Athletics Championships. Thirty-four nations took part in the event and over five hundred athletes participated. A total of 44 events were contested, with the events being evenly split between the genders.
WThe 2012 BWF World Junior Championships were held in Chiba, Japan from October 25 to November 3, 2012.
WThe 19th Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships were held in the Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González in San Salvador, El Salvador, between 29 June and 1 July 2012. The event was open for athletes from the invited countries, that are members of the Central American and Caribbean Athletic Confederation (CACAC), in two categories : Junior A Category: 18 to 19 years as of 31 December 2012, and Junior B Category: 14 to 17 years as of 31 December 2012. By IAAF standards, Junior A is equal to Junior, while Junior B is equal to Youth.
WThe 2012 Leeward Islands Junior Championships in Athletics took place on June 9–10, 2012. The event was held at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Detailed reports were published.
WThe 2012 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics were held at the Centro Paralímpico Nacional in Irapuato, Mexico from 6 to 8 July. It was the seven edition of the biennial athletics competition for NACAC area athletes under 23 years of age. A total of 44 track and field events were contested, divided evenly between the sexes. It was the third time that Mexico had hosted the event, having done so in 2000 and 2008.
WThe 2012 South American Under-23 Championships in Athletics were held in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Estádio Ícaro de Castro Melo from 22 to 23 September 2012. They were the 5th edition of the competition, organised under the supervision of the CONSUDATLE. A detailed report on the results was given. Brazilian shot putters Geisa Arcanjo who achieved 18.43m in the women's event, and Darlan Romani who achieved 19.93m in the men's event, were awarded the title for the best performance of the event.
WThe 21st South American Youth Championships in Athletics were held at the Parque San Martín in Mendoza, Argentina between October 26–28, 2012. A detailed discussion of the results was given elsewhere.
WThe 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games, officially known as the I Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in Innsbruck, on 13–22 January 2012. They were the inaugural Winter Youth Olympics, a major sports and cultural festival celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games. Approximately 1100 athletes from 70 countries competed. The decision for Innsbruck to host the Games was announced on 12 December 2008 after mail voting by 105 International Olympic Committee (IOC) members. Innsbruck is the first city to host three winter Olympic events, having previously hosted the 1964 Winter Olympics and the 1976 Winter Olympics.
WThe 2012 World Junior Curling Championships was held from March 3 to 11 at the Z-Hallen in Östersund, Sweden. Östersund previously hosted the World Junior Curling Championships in 1999 and in 2008.
WThe 2012 Asian Junior Men's Volleyball Championship was held in Urmia, Iran.
WThe 2012 Asian Junior Women's Volleyball Championship was held in Nakhon Pathom and Ratchaburi, Thailand from 1 – 9 October 2012.
WThe 2012 FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship for Women is FIBA Asia's basketball championship for females under 18 years old. The games were held at Johor Bahru, Malaysia from September 29 to October 6. China, Japan and Korea represented FIBA in the 2013 FIBA Under-19 World Championship for Women in Lithuania.
WThe 2012 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women was the 24th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship for Women. 16 teams participated in the competition, held in Miskolc, Hungary, from 12 to 22 July 2012. Spain won their eighth title.
WThe 2012 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship for Women was the 29th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship for Women. 16 teams featured in the competition, held in Romania from 26 July to 5 August 2012.
WThe 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship for Women was an international basketball competition held in Amsterdam, Netherlands from August 17–26, 2012. It was the second edition of the Under-17 World Championships.
WThe 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was the third edition of the women's football tournament, and was held in Azerbaijan from 22 September to 13 October, following a decision by the Executive Committee on 19 March 2010. Defending champions South Korea failed to qualify for the tournament. France won the title after defeating Korea DPR 1–1.
WThe 2012 IRB Junior World Championship was the fifth annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams. This competition replaced the now defunct Under 19 and Under 21 world championships. The event was organised in South Africa between 4 and 22 June 2012 by rugby's governing body, the IRB. A total of 12 nations played in the tournament. New Zealand came into the tournament as defending champions. South Africa were crowned 2012 champions after defeating New Zealand 22 - 16 in the final on the 22 June at Newlands Stadium.
WThe 2012 Men's Pan American Junior Championship was the tenth edition of the men's Pan American Junior Championship. The tournament was held between 10 and 23 September 2012 at the Pan American Hockey Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
WThe 2012 IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy was the fifth annual international rugby union competition for Under 20 national teams, second-tier world championship. The winner of the competition, the United States, was promoted to the IRB Junior World Championship for the 2013 tournament.