YOG: Uruguay's Marcelo Chirico wins gold in Equestrian Individual Jumping Event Channel NewsAsia 24 August 2010 1652 hrs By Ewan Mah SINGAPORE : In the Youth Olympic Games on Tuesday, Marcelo Chirico of Uruguay, riding Links Hot Gossip, took gold in the Equestrian Individual Jumping event at the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre. Colombia's Mario Gamboa pushed the champ into a jump off to decide the gold. But he exceeded the 55 seconds time limit, incurring 14 penalty points and had to settle for silver. Saudi Arabia's Dalma Rushdi Malhas got the bronze medal. Singapore's Caroline Chew riding Gatineau finished in 17th place. In Shooting, Ukraine's Denys Kushnirov grabbed the gold in the Boys' 10m Air Pistol Final with 676.3 points. Brazil's Felipe Almeida Wu scored 0.3 points less to take silver while South Korea's Choi Daehan received the bronze. Singapore's Wu Wen Yi placed 18th. Marcelo of Uruguay competes during the jumping individual round B of equestrian. Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-POOL/Duan Zhuoli
YOG: S'pore through to last 16 of Table Tennis Mixed Team competition Channel NewsAsia 24 August 2010 2117 hrs By Ewan Mah SINGAPORE: In the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) on Tuesday, in Table Tennis, Singapore are through to the second group stage after a perfect 3-0 record in Group H. Clarence Chew and Girls' Singles silver medallist Isabelle Li defeated Africa-One 2-1 to add to their wins against Intercontinental-2 and Egypt. Isabelle won her singles match in straight games, but Clarence lost to Nigeria's Ojo Onaolapo once again. But the Singaporean duo combined forces to seal the tie in the mixed doubles. With the victory, Singapore top their group and advance to the top 16 in the second group stage. In Diving and the Boys' 10m Platform Final, China's Qiu Bo collected his second gold at the YOG with a total score of 673.50 points. Silver went to Ukraine's Oleksandr Bondar who was almost 70 points behind. And Mexico's Ivan Garcia claimed the bronze. In Boys' Handball, Singapore have beaten the Cook Islands 32-18. The Singapore boys had won the first leg of their playoff match 22-20 on Monday night. With the win, the Republic finished fifth overall. Over in the first semi-final, Egypt beat France 22-21. With the victory, the Egyptians advance to the gold medal match to play South Korea, who beat Brazil 27-22 in their semi-final. In Girls' Football, Chile have won the gold after beating Equatorial Guinea 5-3 on penalties. The score was tied at 1-all after 80 minutes and the match went straight into a shootout to determine the winner. Earlier, Turkey beat Iran 3-0 to take home the bronze. In Girls' Hockey, The Netherlands won their first gold of the Games. They beat Argentina 2-1 after a golden goal from a penalty corner in extra time. Earlier, New Zealand snatched the bronze after beating South Korea 5-4. The game ended 4-4 at full time and was also settled by a golden goal. In Boxing, In the Boys' Middle under-75kg Bout, Zoltan Harcsa of Hungary beat Nigeria's Muideen Akanji 8-1 to claim the bronze. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan's Sardorbek Begaliev beat Ecuador's Ytalo Perea 5-2 in the Boys' Light Heavy under-81kg Bout to secure bronze. In the Boys' Heavy under-91kg Bout, Turkey's Umit Can Patir beat Tajikistan's Siyovush Zukhurov to take home the bronze. In the Boys' Super Heavy plus 91kg Bout, Daniil Svaresciuc from Moldova beat Hungary's Jozsef Zsigmond after the Hungarian retired in Round 3. - Isabelle Li (Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Fan Jun) Singapore's Oscar Ooi Junhao (right) gets past Cook Islands' Peter Tuaratini. Photo: SPH-SYOGOC/Jeremy Chan
YOG: Singapore's golden chances in sailing suffer setback By Patwant Singh/Ewan Mah/Dylan Loh | Posted: 24 August 2010 1850 hrs Photos 1 of 1 Singapore's Darren Choy (Photo: SPH-SYOGOC/Imran Ahmad) Special Report • Special Report: Youth Olympic Games SINGAPORE: Singapore's chances of a YOG gold medal in sailing suffered a setback after a poor finish by Darren Choy in three races on Tuesday. The 16-year-old world champion is Singapore's best hope at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Darren, who was the overall leader before Tuesday, finished 15th, 13th and 18th for races 9, 10 and 11. This puts him in sixth place overall at 66 points, 25 points behind leader Ian Barrows of the US Virgin Islands. The last race will be held on Wednesday. In the Girls' Byte CII event, Natasha Yokoyama recovered from a 21st-place finish in race 9 to win race 10. But she faltered in the next race to finish 12th. Going into Wednesday's gold-medal race, she is now 5th overall with 63 points, with Austria's Lara Vadlau the clear leader with 23 points. In the Girls' Techno 293 windsurfing race, Singapore's Audrey Yong is 5th with 40 points in the 18-strong field. She is now 22 points behind Thailand's Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam. In boxing, Singapore's Muhammed Hanurdeen lost out on the bronze in the Boys' Light Fly 48kg category. The 17-year-old fell 0-7 to Uzbekistan's Zohidjon Hoorboyev. Despite a difficult match, it was a special night for him. Hanurdeen's mother Jarina Begum was at the match to support him, courtesy of tickets from Singapore's Sports Ministry. She had to tend to her Tekka Hawker Centre rojak stall and was unable to attend any of Hanurdeen's previous bouts. But for Tuesday night, she got someone else to look after the business. In the Boys' Fly Under-51kg bout, Egypt's Hesham Abdelaal beat Kandel Dowden of Grenada to take the bronze after Kandel was disqualified in round two. In the Boys' Bantam Under-54kg bout, Poland's Dawid Michelus beat Zack Davies of Great Britain 12-7 for the bronze. Venezuela's Fradimil Macayo beat Denislav Suslekov of Bulgaria 8-3 for the bronze in the Boys' Feather Under-57kg bout. In the Boys' Light Under-60kg bronze-medal match, India's Krishan Vikas took bronze after his bout against Mexico's Daniel Echeverria. The Mexican was disqualified in round three for too many punches below the belt. In the Boys' Light Welter Under-64kg bronze-medal bout, Argentina's Fabian Maidana took bronze in a walkover as Ukraine's Oleg Nekliudov was unable to compete. And Turkmenistan's Nursahat Pazziyev beat Kyrgyzstan's Islomzhon Dalibaev 7-0 to take the bronze in the Boys' Welter Under-69kg bronze-medal bout. In canoeing, Singapore's Wang Nan Feng was knocked out by Belgium's Hermien Peters in the Girls' K1 Canoe Slalom round three. Earlier in round one, she beat Aliaksandra Hryshyna of Belarus in a time of 1 minute 47.23 seconds to progress to round three. In the Boys' K1 Canoe Slalom round three, Singapore's Brandon Ooi beat Iran's Ali Aghamirzaeijenaghrad in a time of 1 minute 35.80 seconds to progress to round four. Amongst the last 8 in round four, Brandon will face off against France's Guillaume Bernis. Earlier in round one, Brandon beat Boris Nedyalkov of Bulgaria with a time of 1 minute 35.24 seconds to progress to round three. In the Modern Pentathlon Mixed Relay event, Ukraine's Anastasiya Spas paired up with Ilya Shugarov of Russia to take gold with 4,638 points. The pair had won bronze and silver earlier at the games in their individual events. Silver went to Zhu Wenjing of China and South Korea's Kim Dae Beom, with 4,600 points. Brazil's Mariana Laporte and Slovakia's Jan Szalay grabbed the bronze. Meanwhile, Singapore's Valerie Lim paired with Ukraine's Yuriy Fedechko. They were placed 7th with 4,460 points. In Rhythmic Gymnastics, Singapore were placed 5th with 39.150 points and are reserves for the finals in the Girls' Group All Around Qualification. Top-spot qualifier was Russia, with 52.250 points.
Cubs beat Montenegro 4-1 (Being indisposed for the past few days, I will now update on the more significant events.) The Straits Times Aug 25, 2010 SINGAPORE midfielder Hanafi Mohamed Akbar finally broke his duck in the Youth Olympic Games football competition as the Singapore Cubs defeated Montenegro 4-1 on Wednesday night to clinch the bronze medal. Hanafi, who failed to find the net in Singapore's three earlier matches, scored twice in front of a crowd that was visibly smaller than the 6,000-strong throng that had packed Jalan Besar Stadium to watch Singapore beat Montenegro 3-2 last Tuesday and lose 0-2 to Haiti in the semi-finals on Sunday. But this time, the fans were rewarded for their unwavering faith in the Singapore youngsters. And Singapore responded appropriately by taking just six minutes to break the deadlock through Hanafi, who picked up a pass and brushed aside his markers before slotting the ball past Montenegro goalkeeper Marko Kordic. However, the Cubs' joy was shortlived. Two minutes after the goal, skipper Jeffrey Lightfoot suffered a bad cut on his head and had to be substituted. The situation worsened two minutes later when Montenegro equalised through Jovan Baosic. The defender was unmarked when a freekick was floated in and had all the time in the world to power his header past Singapore keeper Fashah Rosedin. The match ended 1-1 at half-time. Hanafi then scored his second goal of the match and tournament five minutes after the break when he received Bryan Neubronner's cross at the edge of the Montenegro box and slammed his shot past Kordic. Singapore made it 3-1 in the 56th minute after they were awarded a penalty. Referee Norbert Hauata had apparently spotted a Montenegro player tugging at the jersey of one of the Singapore players and pointed to the spot. Midfielder Ammirul Mazlan then sent Kordic the wrong way to give Singapore a comfortable lead. Ammirul then made it a night to remember for the Cubs and the Jalan Besar faithful when he headed Hanafi's 65th-minute freekick into the Montenegro net to make it 4-1. The Cubs' victory came in front of a crowd that was visibly smaller than the 6,000-strong throng that had packed Jalan Besar Stadium. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
It's been a struggle for US The Straits Times Aug 25, 2010 Scheduling clash and less competitive team translate into poor haul By Leonard Lim WHEN the curtain falls on the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) after 12 days of intense sporting action tomorrow, the United States will be in an unfamiliar position. With four golds, eight silvers and eight bronzes at the end of competition last night, they are currently fifth in the medal standings if total medals are used as a measure, and a startling 11th if the gold medal count is used. That places them lower than Ukraine, Hungary and Azerbaijan, an anomaly for a sporting powerhouse whose long-time dominance has seen them finish either first or second spot in the medal standings - by either measure - at every Summer Olympics since 1992. At best, the US can haul in one more gold, if their volleyball girls dispose of Belgium in tomorrow's final. But that will still leave them lagging far behind runaway leaders China, who have amassed 28 golds, 15 silvers and five bronzes so far. Swimming and athletics, traditionally gold mines for the Americans, have contributed a lone gold each, while the country's other two have come from judo. The US' cause was not helped by the boys and girls' basketball teams, who were favourites for gold, crashing out in the semi-finals. 'There were some scheduling challenges,' United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief executive Scott Blackmun said, in explaining his contingent's woeful performance. Gymnast Jordyn Wieber, the 2008 US junior all-around champion and touted as a future Olympic medallist, competed in the Aug 10-14 US Championships instead. And the country's best crop of swimmers are skipping the YOG for the Junior Pan-Pacific Championships in Hawaii. The competition, which begins tomorrow and ends on Sunday, is regarded as swimming's biggest international meet this year. That left the US' 'B' squad competing in Singapore. 'We looked at this as a developmental opportunity for some of our athletes who don't otherwise get the opportunity to compete internationally,' said Blackmun. Glaringly, the Chinese won 11 golds - nearly 40 per cent of their total gold haul - in the pool here, while Kaitlyn Jones (200m individual medley) was the only American swimming gold medallist. The short time-frame to prepare for the first YOG was also a factor, the US' chef de mission Leonard Abbey, 27, pointed out yesterday in an interview at the Games Village. 'Singapore were given 2-1/2 years to plan for this Games. The National Olympic Committees were also given 2-1/2 years,' he said. 'High-performance sports plans are for five, six, seven years at a time. So with such short notice, some sports had (already) moved halfway through their plan. The YOG was never in the plan.' Many other countries have sent their best athletes, however. The US' decision not to do so may be due to question marks about how high the standard of competition would be, given that it was the first YOG compared to, say, the Pan-Pacific Championships which are well-established. But USOC sport manager Abbey, who also attended the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February, has been impressed by what he has seen here. Russia's three-gold gymnast Viktoria Komova and China's six-gold swimmer Tang Yi are some YOG athletes tipped to be future Olympic stars. 'The coaches are comparing it to the highest levels of competition that they've competed in, and so are the athletes,' Abbey said. Giving a strong hint that the standard of future US squads would be much higher, he added: 'The YOG's up there as far as top priority. Having a better understanding of the level will help us to improve our planning for the future and fitting it into high-performance plans.' Seeing the top performances by athletes from other sporting powers like China and Australia has also made the Americans sit up and take notice of what was initially an experimental event. They are now among 17 countries to express interest in hosting a future edition of the YOG. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was not concerned about the quality of the American team. He told the Associated Press: 'When people don't participate, they are easily forgotten and they do not weigh on the success of the organisation.' Kaitlyn Jones won America's sole swimming gold and is one of only four gold medallists from the country so far. -- PHOTO: SPH-SYOGOC/ANDREW TAN
China's future champions The Straits Times Aug 25, 2010 By Lin Xinyi CHINA brought 68 athletes to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), and their chef de mission Cai Zhenhua is confident that future Olympic champions are among them. 'Some of these athletes will definitely compete in the 2012 or 2016 Olympics, and there will definitely be someone who will be an Olympic champion,' he told The Straits Times. While Cai did not speculate on who they might be, a number of athletes have caught his eye at the YOG. The first one who came to mind was swimmer Tang Yi - the most decorated athlete at the inaugural Games with six golds. China's female cagers and paddler Gu Yuting were also noted for their gritty performances. 'Our more outstanding athletes have been Tang Yi and the other swimmers,' he said. 'They have done their personal bests and set world junior records. 'Results aside, they also showed great fighting spirit.' The Chinese swimmers won 11 of the 35 golds on offer, playing a huge role in propelling the country to the top of the medal standings. China are perched at the top with 28 golds, 15 silvers and five bronzes. Although Chinese sports officials did not set a medal target before the YOG, Cai said the returns have already surpassed his expectations. But he stressed that the YOG medal standings and the 2008 Beijing Olympics medal tally, which China topped with 51 golds, do not reflect that it is a sports superpower. 'After the Beijing Olympics, we'd already stated that China is not considered a strong country, just a big one,' he said. 'Our standard is still lacking in key Olympic sports like athletes and swimming, and in sports that have great social impact - football, basketball and volleyball.' He also noted that for the YOG, countries like the United States, a traditional sports powerhouse, did not send some of their best athletes. Hence, topping the medal tally cannot be equated with athletic superiority. Said Cai: 'There's a lot more we have to do before we can become a powerhouse. 'Chinese swimmer Tang Yi has caught China's chef de mission Cai Zhenhua's eye with her six-gold performance. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
Small numbers, big support The Straits Times Aug 25, 2010 By Victoria Vaughan & Melissa Kok JETSTAR Asia pilot Marcela Llaguno was on cloud nine on Monday. He was among 30 Peruvians who cheered on their country's girls volleyball team to a record a 3-0 victory over Japan at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. The supporters included some of the 80 Peruvians living and working here, and those who had made the 30-odd-hour trip from home. Said Llaguno: 'It's exciting to be part of this and be with other Peruvians. I wasn't expecting to come here but it was my day off and my friends got tickets.' Retiree Ricardo Poto Loyola came from his home in Kuala Lumpur to catch the game, saying: 'I'm here for only one day. My niece plays volleyball so I know the sport and I thought I would come and watch. It's very well organised though I had some trouble parking.' Indeed, foreign spectators, though small in number, are doing their best to give their home teams a lift at the Youth Olympic Games. 'I wish there were more Japanese people here to shout louder. But it's nice to watch the match as we play for the Japanese Association team,' said hairdresser Chie Oizumi at the Peru-Japan match. Over at the diving pool, the crowd roared for Singaporean competitor Chloe Chan but the familiar cheer of 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie' also came from the stands for Hannah Thek. Swiss Jean-Daniel Gachoud and his family were cheering for Australia. They had earlier gone to Melbourne to pick up their daughter after a year's study exchange. 'We stopped in Singapore because I wanted to come to the first Youth Olympic Games,' said Gachoud, who was the Swiss wrestling trainer at the Barcelona Olympic Games. 'The Barcelona Games were bigger of course, but this is a fantastic event,' he said. Volleyball events are a big draw for Russians. More than 30 would turn up as supporters, said Alexander Slyzhov, 21, a Russian YOG volunteer. In the stands, many would wave flags and cheer in their native language: 'Russia go, Russia go, Russia go, we came here to win!' As for Kazakhstani Saginayev Rakhymzhan, 22, it was a big thrill to see his country win medals in weightlifting and wrestling. 'It was a great moment when our national anthem was played and our national flag displayed.' said the third-year Nanyang Technological University student who is volunteering at the YOG. He said a group of 15 to 20 Kazakhstanis were here to cheer for their countrymen. Many of them - in Singapore for the first time - were coaches to some of the athletes and family members. But Rakhymzhan said he was pleasantly surprised by Singaporeans who rallied behind Kazakhstan athletes. 'It was a nice feeling to see Singaporean support and hear them screaming 'Go Kazakhstan!',' he said. Peru fans going wild as the girls' volleyball team played Japan in a preliminary round game on Monday. --ST PHOTOS: VICTORIA VAUGHAN
Putting fun back into the Games TODAY 05:55 AM Aug 26, 2010 by Shamir Osman Blood, sweat and tears. These three words are closely intertwined with sports, along with, of course, winning and losing. International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge wanted these Youth Olympic Games to be different - he wanted to see the fun factor reintroduced to sports - and he would have been pleased with what he has seen so far at the inaugural Games here. Athletes have been blown away by the events in the Youth Olympic Village, from the Culture and Education Programme, to a day out at Outward Bound Singapore, along with parties organised within the confines of the village. In many ways, the Singapore Games have been fun on the court, at the track and on the field. Singapore's football boys pulled the crowds back to the stadiums with their unadulterated displays on the pitch. They were clearly having fun, and the crowd loved it. The Cook Islands handball team may not have pulled in big crowds with their play, but their smiles won them the hearts of those watching. They lost every single game here but they wore broad smiles every time they faced the cameras at courtside. The athletes taking part in the mixed team events in nine sports had a ball. The archery mixed team saw boys from one country paired with girls from another, a mix that has seen friendships blossom. Italian Gloria Filippi kissed her Belarusian team-mate Anton Karoukin after what she described as a thoroughly enjoyable victory in the event. But the Youth Olympics was not just fun and games - it was a sporting spectacle. Singapore's Abdul Dayyan showed steely nerves to hit the bulls eye with his last shot to take bronze in the mixed team event; Chinese diver Qiu Bo wowed the crowds at the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex with a virtuoso performance worthy of the world stage en route to two gold medals, as did his compatriot, swimmer Tang Yi, who owned the pool with six golds of her own. But it was the Republic's football boys who aptly summed up these Games with their 4-1 win over Montenegro in the bronze medal playoff last night. Singapore turned in a disciplined and inspired performance to exorcise their semi-final ghosts. Like their teammates, skipper Jeffrey Lightfoot and Dhukhilan Jeevamani put their bodies on the line, both receiving cuts under their eyes. Following a collision in the eighth minute, Lightfoot ended up in hospital - he needed 15 stitches under the right eye. The entire team shed blood, sweat and tears. But it was their ear-to-ear smiles that truly lit up the Games.
YOG in world's media The Straits Times Aug 21, 2010 Games carried by 166 broadcasters worldwide, and is a hit on YouTube By Bhagyashree Garekar, Assistant Foreign Editor TORCH bearer Darren Choy's walk on water, the sheer promise of teen talent, and Singapore's sleek skyline have caught the world's attention since the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) kicked off last weekend. A number of newspapers and TV channels in Asia and the West are paying more than a fleeting homage to the displays of the world's finest sporting talent in the making. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was delighted by the television coverage and the YouTube hits garnered by the YOG. 'I'm very happy with the television coverage because we've been able to sign contracts with 166 broadcasters in so many countries,' he told The Straits Times at the Youth Olympic Village yesterday. 'The day before yesterday, we were the third most-watched item on YouTube in the world... that's something.' China, a country known for its sporting prowess, is giving the Games play-by-play coverage. State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) telecast the opening ceremony live and since then has been beaming nine hours of action daily on its CCTV5 sports channel. State news agency Xinhua and national newspapers like People's Daily and China Youth Daily have dispatched a contingent of reporters to Singapore. The surprise is that even provincial papers like the Guangzhou Daily and the Nanjing Daily have boots on the ground. The heightened interest is at least partly because the YOG torch next passes to Nanjing. In Taiwan, the main news outlets such as United Daily News, China Times and the Central News Agency are more narrowly focused on the exploits of the 36-member Chinese Taipei delegation. The reports are carried in the sports pages on most days, but on Wednesday, weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun made front page news when she gave Taiwan its first medal, a silver. The Japanese media is known to turn a blind eye even to the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games unless a world record or a Japanese record is broken. But Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun, the largest vernacular dailies, sat up when Japanese triathlete Yuka Sato bagged the first gold of the YOG. They have been running pictures daily, as well as short write-ups of the day's highlights. The interest of the Indian media, including The Times of India and The Hindu, revolves around the fortunes of the national team. The coverage is thin, although New Delhi is itself preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in a few weeks. In the Philippines, the two main broadsheets - The Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Philippine Star - have been playing up basketball, the nation's favourite sport. The Filipinos' narrow loss to the Spaniards was the lead sports story in The Philippine Star on Wednesday. After splashing the opening ceremony, the Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai media tapered off their coverage - save for the performance of national athletes and some celebrity moments, like Monaco's Princess Stephanie watching her daughter dive. But quite apart from the tales of little-known teenagers stoking national pride with their grace and grit, the YOG is being watched for the lessons it holds for future hosts. On the eve of the YOG, The Advertiser, an Adelaide tabloid, led off a one-page curtain-raiser with this poser: 'The question on many South Australian lips will be: Could we do this?' It said the city officials will assess the success of the Singapore YOG before considering a bid. The Age, the Daily Telegraph, the Herald Sun and others are featuring the Games in scoreboards, snippets and occasional pictures to cater to sports-mad Australians. The Guardian, The Independent and most other British dailies are paying special attention, because of the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics. The Washington Post, not normally persuaded to run any sports story that is not about the American football team Redskins, put up a story on track-and-field athlete Olivia Ekpone on its Sports section cover, albeit at the bottom. She competed in the 200m dash on Thursday and will go on to London 2012. The New York Times pounced on the controversial Iranian pullout from a taekwondo final against an Israeli. The BBC and, to a lesser extent, CNN are also giving sporadic coverage to the YOG on their bulletins and websites. bhagya@sph.com.sg With input from ST foreign bureaus and Royston Sim in Singapore Reports by Taiwan's United Daily News and China Times on the exploits of weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun and other Chinese Taipei athletes. -- ST PHOTO: LEE SEOK HWAI
IOC chief gives high praise before closing YOG Channel NewsAsia 27 August 2010 0016 hrs SINGAPORE: The inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore officially closed on Thursday, bringing the curtain down on 12 days of sporting competition and cultural and educational activities for athletes. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong graced the closing ceremony, which saw a kaleidoscope of songs, dances and an elaborate fireworks display at the Float@Marina Bay. Beaming with pride was 12-year-old Nathania Ong, who led the audience in singing the national anthem of Singapore. International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge closed the YOG and handed the Olympic flag over to the mayor of Chinese city Nanjing, the next host of the summer Youth Olympics in 2014. Rogge was given rapturous applause by the 27,000-capacity crowd after telling Singapore they had done a "superb job" in hosting the Games. "Congratulations Singapore for a job superbly done. You rose brilliantly to the challenge of combining elite sport, education and culture," Rogge said. "Athletes, you proved you have learned what it means to be a true champion and not just a winner. "These were truly inspirational Games," he added. Dancers form an image of a star during the closing ceremony of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Photo: XINHUA/SYOGOC-Pool/Qi Heng
IOC honours 8 S'poreans The Straits Times Aug 26, 2010 http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_571150.html THE International Olympic Committee on Thursday presented eight Singaporeans with the Olympic Order in Silver in recognition of their contribution to the success of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The recipients included Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also president of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan who is the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports. Dr Ng Eng Hen, the Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, also received the award. The other recipients were: - Dr Tan Eng Liang, vice president of the SNOC - Mr Chris Chan, the secretary general of the SNOC - Mr Goh Kee Nguan, the chief executive officer of Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) - Dr Francis Chong, Deputy CEO, SYOGOC and - Mr Eric Tan Huck Gim, COO SYOGOC Earlier this month, the IOC had presented the Olympic Order in Gold to President S R Nathan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in honour of Singapore's hosting of the first Youth Olympic Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge also presented the Olympic Cup to the people of Singapore for their commitment to the Olympic ideals and contribution to the Olympic Movement by hosting a successful first YOG. Recipients of the Olympic Order in Silver: * Mr Teo Chee Hean, President of the Singapore National Olympic Council and Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore * Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence * Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports * Dr Tan Eng Liang, Vice President of the Singapore National Olympic Council * Mr Chris Chan, Secretary General of the Singapore National Olympic Council * Mr Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee * Dr Francis Chong, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee * Mr Eric Tan Huck Gim, Chief Operating Officer, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee PM Lee Hsien Loong receiving the IOC Olympic Trophy on behalf of Singapore. -- PHOTO: SPH/ALBERT SIM
$387m on YOG well spent The Straits Times Aug 26, 2010 By Leonard Lim THE Government's projected $387 million tab for the Youth Olympic Games is more than triple the original estimates, but it will be money well-spent. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said in a round-up on the YOG yesterday with local media: 'I have no doubt we will recoup our investment, both on the tangible side and intangible side of the ledger. "The Singapore Government has not lost its bearings and its carefulness in the way we spend money.' There has been criticism online on whether the money devoted to the Games, which end on Thursday, will benefit Singaporeans. But MCYS said previously it has provided a fillip to businesses, with about $260 million worth of contracts awarded to local companies, and estimated tourism receipts of $57 million. On the intangible side, Dr Balakrishnan said it would continue to brand the country as an excellent place to live, work and play. 'It's really part of our larger game plan of re-positioning Singapore. We now want to be one of the most exciting, happening, dynamic, vibrant places that cater to all needs,' he added. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said in a round-up on the YOG yesterday with local media: 'I have no doubt we will recoup our investment, both on the tangible side and intangible side of the ledger. -- ST PHOTO: MALCOLM KOH
Rogge hails YOG The Straits Times Aug 26, 2010 SINGAPORE - IOC president Jacques Rogge on Thursday hailed the Youth Olympics in Singapore as exceeding all expectations as the inaugural Games drew to a close. He deemed the event, for 14 to 18-year-olds, as a massive success. 'The Youth Olympic Games have exceeded vastly my highest expectations,' he said in his closing press conference. 'I always knew it would be well organised, but I did not expect this level of perfection,' added the IOC chief. All 205 National Olympic Committee members sent athletes to Singapore, with 93 countries winning medals, a wider spread than usually seen at a traditional Olympics. The next summer Youth Olympics will be held in Nanjing, China, in 2014 with a winter version in Innsbruck in 2012. -- AFP 'The Youth Olympic Games have exceeded vastly my highest expectations,' he said in his closing press conference. -- PHOTO: SPH-SYOGOC/GEOFFREY PEREIRA
YOG officially closed The Straits Times Aug 26, 2010 By Leonard Lim A FIRE that burned brightly in the heart of Singapore for the past fortnight was doused at 9.01pm on Thursday, marking the end of a festival that set new markers for youth and sport. It was an emotional moment, with the sombre notes from a flugel horn the prelude to the farewell of the Youth Olympic Flame at the Games' closing ceremony. But in the words of one of the most powerful men in world sport, another symbol - the Singapore spirit - will live on. With the stunning Marina Bay skyline as the backdrop, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said to the 3,600 athletes: 'Years from now, when you reflect on your sports career, you will be able to say 'I was in Singapore, where it all began'. 'You will keep this Singapore spirit alive in your countries as true role models.' No better way was this spirit embodied than in the infectious enthusiasm of more than 20,000 volunteers - many of who worked behind the scenes tirelessly. Youth Olympics officially closed on Thursday amid glowing praise, bringing the curtain down on 12 days of sporting competition and cultural and educational activities for athletes. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
YOG only going to get bigger and better: Rogge The Straits Times Aug 26, 2010 THE Youth Olympic Games are only going to get bigger and better, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge insisted yesterday. He sat down with 205 athletes nominated to represent their National Olympic Committees yesterday to hear feedback and discuss general feelings about the inaugural event in Singapore. 'Every four years, the YOG will go to another city and they will improve the quality of the event. I am very optimistic about the future,' he said. 'By the next YOG, there will be far more media attention. Here in Singapore, we had 1,100 journalists and 166 broadcasters. 'There were 5,000 videos downloaded on YouTube and four million people joining the Friends of YOG Facebook page. But we will endeavour to help publicise this event and make it even bigger. This is only the very first event.' He admitted there had been initial concerns that the Culture and Education Programme would not be well received as the athletes would be more focused on competition. 'But now I don't have to prove it to them any more,' said Rogge. 'We are most definitely considering introducing a limited Culture and Education Programme into the traditional Olympic Games. There is definitely a place for it - it's too late for London but perhaps in Rio. We have to see how we can adapt it for the different age category.' He also revealed that the IOC is in talks to prepare a similar youth games for the Paralympics. The athletes had a chance to field questions for Rogge yesterday. One Jamaican runner asked if they should consider themselves Olympic athletes. Rogge's response was emphatic. 'You will be a Young Olympian for the rest of your life,' he said. 'You won't be young forever, but being a Young Olympian is something they can never take away from you.' Meanwhile, the Nanjing Organising Committee for YOG 2014 has promised a 'thrifty and highly efficient' event, although it refused to be drawn on the exact budget. The committee already aims to deploy a volunteer force of 30,000 people, 6,000 of them language assistants. The volunteer force at the Singapore Games numbers 20,000.
YOG Mural at Esplanade MRT At long last the 3088 individually crafted mural tiles by the sporting world's young athlete ambassadors who participated in last year's Youth Olympic Games in Singapore are now permanently mounted on the side wall at the Esplanade MRT. More pictures can be found in "Singapore Also Can": http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...apore-Also-Can?p=1747763&posted=1#post1747763
