38 horses for YOG Equestrian competition arrive in S'pore
SINGAPORE: 38 horses for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Equestrian competition arrived Thursday in Singapore after travelling eight hours from Queensland, Australia.
These horses will be paired with athletes to compete in the Equestrian Show Jumping event during the Games.
Equestrian riders will be able to view and draw their mounts on August 13.
This will be the first time that a horse draw is conducted in Olympic history.
The assigned horse-rider combination will apply throughout the competition for both the team and individual events.
A new format will also debut during the Equestrian team event.
The 30 individual riders will also vie for team event medals by competing in five teams.
Team members will come from different National Olympic Committees, or even from different continents.
In the largest movement of horses in Singapore, the horses, after their arrival, were loaded onto trucks bound for the Singapore Turf Club Riding Centre (STCRC) - the equestrian competition venue.
They will be under quarantine there from July 16 to 30. - CNA/jm
Singapore's YOG paddlers enter final leg of training
SINGAPORE: Singapore's table tennis team for the Youth Olympic Games is gearing up for a wave in training before the games begin next month from August 14-26.
The pair of Clarence Chew and Isabelle Li is headed to three international tournaments over the next few weeks.
These are the Asian Junior Championships, the Korea Junior Open and the Hong Kong Junior Open.
This is also the final leg of centralised training the duo has been under for the past two years.
It's intended to give them exposure to the various playing styles and techniques, and also to prepare them for the YOG.
Isabelle Li said: "It's a very good experience and exposure, getting to play with world class players of my age and I get to see different players of different styles and different techniques."
Both players have also seen their world rankings rise.
Clarence currently ranks 136th in the Under-18 category. Previously he was was ranked 400.
Isabelle is 24th in the Under-18 category, much better than her previous ranking of 146.
President of the Singapore Table Tennis Association, Lee Bee Wah said: "Since two years ago we have been preparing them for this YOG - both Clarence and Isabelle have attended many centralised training and now they're ready to face the challenge of once in their lifetime.
"As usual we do not want to place too much pressure on them, we want them to hit out there, do their best, play with their heart and fly the Singapore flag high."
- CNA/jm
Singapore's YOG Gold medal winning athletes stand to receive $50,000 - $150,000 in scholarships
Singapore athletes who win gold medals in their individual events at the YOG, will stand to receive $50,000 each from NTUC Fairprice Foundation.
This scholarship incentive was announced last night at the Team
Singapore Flag presentation ceremony at Nanyang Girl's High School.
So it's 50,000 for an individual Gold, 25,000 for a silver and 17,500 dollars for a bronze medal.
And for team sports such as football and basketball, the incentives range from $150,000 for gold and 20,000 for a bronze medal.
The scholarships will be disbursed by the Singapore National Olympic
Council or SNOC and will be used for training equipment, sports medicine
and coaching.
Meanwhile,
The 130-strong Team Singapore YOG-bound athletes received the nation's flag from Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday.
Singapore's Chef De Mission James Wong received the flag from Mr Teo, before handing over to basketballer, Jabez Su.
The 17-year-old from Hwa Chong Institution will be the Republic's flagbearer.
The inaugural YOG will begin on August 14th.
-- 938Live
Singapore celebrates as Youth Olympic Flame lit in Greece
SINGAPORE: Celebrations were held in Youth Olympic Games (YOG) host country Singapore as the Olympic Flame was lit in Greece on Friday.
Athletes Amanda Lim and Silas Abdul Razak represented Singapore at the lighting up of the Flame on the grounds of Ancient Olympia.
Hockey player Silas said it was a privilege to be part of the historic event.
"It was a great feeling being here at Olympia, running with the torch. Many world-class athletes don't get to do that. How do I put it?....happy and excited, and yes, too many feelings!" he said.
As for swimmer Amanda, she is confident that the torch journey
will create more buzz for the YOG. "I think with the Flame starting (the
journey), more Singaporeans and more people around the world
will....know the Games are here."
The Youth Olympic Flame will travel to one city each in five continents, starting with the German city of Berlin.
The next stop will be Dakar in Senegal - representing the African continent - followed by Mexico City.
The Flame will then travel across the globe to Auckland in New Zealand.
Its last stop on its international journey will be South Korea's capital
Seoul, before its arrival on 5 August in Singapore which is hosting the
first-ever YOG.
More than 2,000 others will have the honour of carrying the first Youth Olympic Flame in a six-day relay around Singapore.
And as the torch begins its journey around the world to its final
destination Singapore, celebrations were also held in the host city.
At Merchant Loop, near Clarke Quay, 2,010 students got together in a spectacular mass formation that's shaped like a torch.
CEO of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, Goh Kee
Nguan, said: "I hope that when the Flame reaches our shores, many more
people in Singapore will be as excited and enthusiastic as the crowd
gathered here for this human torch formation. I also hope that many more
records would be broken when the sports competition starts. While not
all of us can participate in the Youth Olympic Games as athletes, we can
all get involved and be part of the Games in our own ways."
The event was organised by Worldwide Olympic Partner, Samsung. Other
activities saw performances by youth entertainers including Singapore
Idol Sezairi Sezali.
Samsung says it will also present a host of activities at city
celebrations in Berlin, Dakar, Mexico City, Auckland and Seoul to
welcome the Olympic Flame and to celebrate the Olympic movement.
- CNA/ir
YOG torch arrives in Berlin
SINGAPORE: The Youth Olympic Flame has arrived in Berlin, Germany on the first stop of its journey that will span five continents as a prelude to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
The torch arrived in the German capital a day after it was lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
It made a brief visit at Siemensstadt, a famous sports club in Berlin built in 1984. Over 650,000 people visit the Siemensstadt sports club a year, and when the Flame made its stop, it was greeted by youth engaging in basketball, tennis and volleyball.
The torch then made its way by boat on the Spree River, through the Haus der Kulturen der Welt - one of the leading European centres of contemporary art and culture - and towards Pariser Platz, where the famous Brandenburg Gate is located, for a city celebration.
On stage, two German athletes bound for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, together with Ronny Ziesmer, the former German gymnast, ignited the celebration cauldron using the Flame.
Other athletes present at the celebration included Dirk Nowitzki –
flag bearer of German Olympic team in Beijing 2008, and Andre Lange –
flag bearer of German Olympic team in Vancouver 2010.
"I am thrilled to see the level of enthusiasm for sports displayed by
youths here in Berlin as well as Germany. This is especially true of the
70 German youth athletes present here today who will be competing at
the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games next month," said Mr Ng Ser
Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising
Committee and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee.
"Their dedication to their chosen sport shows that they embrace the
Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect in their daily
lives."
To bring a slice of Singapore life, culture and tradition to Berlin, the
Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has
partnered Singapore's Ministry of Information, Communication and the
Arts (MICA) to present a Singapore Showcase at the city celebration.
The Singapore Showcase comprised four segments. The dance segment by
"The Roses" saw a group of four spunky girls take to the stage with an
energetic performance of hip-hop dance.
The music segment featured singer Erick Guansing performing the
much-loved Singapore song Bunga Sayang (which means "Flowers of Love" in
Malay).
The sport segment featured the "Urban Street Team", Singapore's own
"Football Freestylers" who displayed some nifty footwork combining dance
and football.
To heighten the festive mood, the Singapore Showcase also featured a
fourth segment - a music, dance and sporty extravaganza with singers
Erick Guansing and Gayle Marilyn Nerva performing the catchy favourite,
"Celebration" alongside pop-inspired moves by young male dancers and the
spunky dance quartet, "The Roses" and the football juggling antics of
"Urban Street Team".
After Berlin, the Youth Olympic Flame will travel to Dakar in Senegal
(representing Africa), Mexico City in Mexico (representing the
Americas), Auckland in New Zealand (representing Oceania) and Seoul
in South Korea (representing Asia).
The Flame will arrive in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional six-day torch relay around the island.
The Youth Olympic Games will kick off in Singapore on August 14. Some
3,600 athletes, aged between 14 and 18, from more than 200 nations are
taking part.
Altogether there will be 26 different sports categories.
- CNA/ir
YOG torch arrives in Senegal from Berlin
SINGAPORE: The Youth Olympic Flame has arrived in Dakar, Senegal on the second leg of its journey that will span five continents as a prelude to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
The torch arrived in Dakar from the German capital of Berlin, two days after it was lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece on Friday.
Upon its arrival, the Flame was presented to Senegal's Prime Minister Soulayeman Ndene Ndiaye by Mr Ng Ser Miang, Chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee.
The Flame travelled around Dakar, visiting historical sites such as City Hall and the Presidential Palace.
The YOG organising committee says the journey across Dakar brought
enthusiasm and excitement to the city with many Senegalese children and
adults following alongside the convoy.
The Flame was then transported to Goree Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The torch is on a 13-day journey to celebration cities representing five continents around the world.
It will arrive in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional six-day torch relay around the island.
- CNA/ir
Youth Olympic Flame arrives in Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico: The Youth Olympic Flame has made its third stop on a tour that spans five continents, arriving in Mexico City, one of the most populous capital cities in the world.
The Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame in Mexico City coincides with celebrations to mark Mexico’s 200 years of independence, and signalled the start of a two-day City Celebration.
Together with Mexican athletes, sports and government officals, and members of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, the Flame went on parade through Mexico City.
The Mexican leg of the Flame’s journey included a visit to a community centre catering to less privileged youth in Iztapalapa; Ecoguarda Centre - a place dedicated to teaching Mexicans about protecting their environment; and Hidalgo Garden in Coyoacán, a town that is popular with artists and musicians.
The Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame climaxed at the Government
Palace of Mexico City, where the Flamewas lit and passed to Mexico City,
representing the Americas.
The Flame then proceeded to Zocalo, the main square in the heart of the historic centre of Mexico City.
“Mexico was the first Latin-American host of the Olympic Games in 1968.
Along with that, we saw the first female athlete, Enriqueta Basilio, to
light the Olympic cauldron" noted Mr Ser Miang NG, Chairman of the
Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, in his speech to
kick off celebrations.
"Through the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame, we hope to connect and
inspire the youth of the Americas to continue to embrace and live the
Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect” he added.
Mexico's fiesta featured a Singapore Showcase extravaganza with a
line-up that included Ethnicity, an ethnic fusion pop band, singer Erick
Guansing and Singapore Idol finalist Gayle Nerva.
The crowd was also treated to fancy footwork by “The Roses”, a spunky
all-girl hip hop group and Singapore’s own “Football Freestylers” who
combine football and dance.
The Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame is a 13-day odyssey to
celebration cities, representing five continents, around the world.
The Flame arrives in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional six-day
torch relay around the island nation before the torch ignites the
cauldron of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, during the Opening
Ceremony of the inaugural games.
-- CNA
YOG ticket sales picking up, with 70% sold
SINGAPORE : As the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) draws closer, ticket sales have picked up.
So far, 70 per cent of the tickets have been sold. These cover the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the 26 sports.
Organisers gave this update on Monday as they launched the public sale of tickets for the Opening Ceremony on August 14.
The tickets for the Opening Ceremony, which promises to be a spectacular show, were offered through a ballot.
However, some of the tickets were not collected by those who were successful, so they are now offered through public sale.
That is great news for fans like Mdm Ho Siew Khim. She said:
"(I'm) so surprised - he told me got tickets for the Opening. I'm so
happy."
She said she had asked around to see if those who were successful in getting the tickets would sell them to her.
She added: "Today, I bought (them) myself. I am going to buy some more. I
am coming back tomorrow because I don't have enough cash."
She was among a steady stream of fans at the SISTIC counter at the Indoor Stadium.
Besides the SISTIC counter, tickets can also be bought online at
www.singapore2010.sg/tickets and the hotline at +65-63482010. Tickets
are priced at S$200, S$120 and S$80.
The most popular appeared to be tickets prized at S$80. Francis Huang,
who purchased tickets for the YOG Opening Ceremony, said: "I think it is
within reasonable limits for such an international event."
Others may be waiting until the YOG draws nearer before getting their tickets.
But Teresa Teo Guttensohn, who was also at the SISTIC counter buying the
tickets, said: "I think there will be a last-minute rush when they
realise it's in two weeks' time, so 'let's go get the tickets'."
The YOG Torch Relay starts on Saturday and involves some 2,400
torchbearers from all walks of life, with the youngest only 11 years old
and the oldest an 82-year-old former national hockey player, Ajit
Singh.
The island-wide relay will last for six days and is expected to generate more buzz and boost ticket sales.
- CNA/al
2,400 to be involved in YOG torch run across Singapore
Singapore: The Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee says some 2,400 torchbearers will take part in the first-ever Olympic torch relay in Singapore.
They're between 11 and 82 years of age, ranging from athletes to people from the business community.
Among them is 82-year-old former hockey player Ajit Singh.
The torchbearers will be carrying the YOG torch from the
heartlands to the financial district and Marina Bay, passing schools,
parks and iconic landmarks along their way.
The organising committee says also running in the relay are torchbearers
from 39 different countries, reflecting Singapore's cosmopolitan city
and the high level of international participation in the inaugural YOG
later this month.
A Flame Arrival Ceremony will be held at the National University of Singapore this Friday.
More than 750 performers will put up a spectacular show with a float
parade and choreographed mass formations to welcome the Youth Olympic
Flame to Singapore after its journey to five cities across the globe.
Members of the public can view the entire torch relay route and the list
of torchbearers at the Singapore 2010 website
www.singapore2010.sg/jyof,
They'll also be able to track the movements of the Youth Olympic Flame 'live' via GPS.
-CNA/wk
Youth Olympic Flame arrives in Singapore
SINGAPORE : The Youth Olympic Flame has arrived in Singapore.
It left South Korea and arrived at Changi Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Singapore is hosting the first Youth Olympic Games from August 14-26.
The country has planned a traditional six-day torch relay around the island, from Saturday.
The flame will light the cauldron on August 14 as part of the Opening
Ceremony, signifying the start of the inaugural Youth Olympics.
South Korea was the final stop of the flame's international journey that spanned five continents.
It had made stopovers in the German capital Berlin, Dakar in Senegal, Mexico City, and Auckland in New Zealand.
At each city, the Youth Olympic Flame was brought to landmarks to allow
as many people as possible to get a close-up view of the torch.
Its mission is to spread the spirit of Olympism to as many youths around the world as possible. - CNA /ls
Youth Olympic Torch Relay officially kicks off in Singapore
SINGAPORE: The journey of the Youth Olympic Flame has officially started in Singapore.
The torch relay started at CHIJ Toa Payoh where hundreds of students, teachers and parents gathered to celebrate the occasion.
The torch was lit at exactly 8.35am.
16-year-old Tay Shi Pei was thrilled when she received the torch from Education Minister Ng Eng Hen.
"When the Minister (Ng Eng Hen) passed me the torch I wasn't
thinking of anything because I just couldn't think; I just blanked out
by the flashes and stuff. But I could feel like it's really overwhelming
and I feel the excitement just bursting out.
"I didn't feel the rain when I was running, so only after that, somehow
the rain came and then I would say it went pretty well because like, I
think we ran as per normal and everyone adjusted really well, so a
spontaneous experience reaction."
Despite the rain, many in the crowd stood on the open field in their
ponchos, trying to catch a glimpse of the eight torchbearers as they
made their way round the school track.
At about 9am, the torch was brought to the Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) where about 800 supporters,
including MCYS staff and family members, extended a warm welcome and
watched performances.
The supporters packed the building as they welcomed deputy secretary of MCYS, Mr Chew Hock Yong, as he ran in with the torch.
The torch relay continued along Thomson Road, MacRitchie Park, Marymount Road.
The morning leg of the relay ended at Raffles Institution at noon.
MediaCorp personalities such as actress Joanne Peh and news presenter Steve Chia also pitched in.
Over six days, 2,400 torch-bearers will bring the flame to different
corners of the island, covering a total distance of over 300 kilometres.
Next Saturday, the Flame will be lit at the Marina Bay Floating Platform
in the official opening of the world's first Youth Olympic Games.
- CNA/jm
Second day of torch relay
The second day of the torch relay for the Youth Olympic Games got off to a sunny start this morning at St. Andrew's Village, as Singaporeans turned up en masse ahead of tomorrow's National Day Celebrations.
Thousands of residents and onlookers, many dressed in red and waving flags, cheered the YOG flame as it wound its way through the South East district.
Unlike yesterday's relay, which was hit by morning showers, today's event took place under a clear sky, giving Singaporeans a perfect opportunity to turn up in force to support the estimated 400 torchbearers who hit the pavements.
Large crowds were seen lining the streets of Potong Pasir, Serangoon and Marine Parade, cheering on the torchbearers who included 57-year-old ultra-marathoner Lim Nghee Huat and top Singaporeans skateboarder Muhammad Firdaus.
The torch's journey began at St Andrew's Village, where 1,000 students witnessed the lighting of the torch by the guest-of-honour, Senior Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Professor S Jayakumar.
The flame will reach its destination this evening at ITE College East, where Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong will attend the community celebration event.
The torch relay will resume on Tuesday at the North East district and end this Friday at the Central Singapore district.
-- ST
YOG village at NTU opens
At 10.52am on Tuesday, the first Youth Olympic Games village (YOV) was officially opened.
The milestone event was marked by a ceremony on the campus grounds of Nanyang Technological University, which will play hosts to some 5,000 athletes during the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
Mr Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games organising committee, said at the opening: 'Like all Olympic Games, the Games village is the very heart of the Games... In the case of the YOV, it will offer a unique experience as it will be the first one designed to integrate sport, culture and education, which mirrors the YOG vision'.
The Zimbabwe team were the first to check into the YOG after touching down in Singapore at 5.37am on Tuesday.
Singapore athletes from three sports - handball, football and diving - will also move into their new home for the next two weeks from Tuesday.
-- ST
DPM launches day 3 of relay
DEPUTY Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean launched the third day of the youth Olympic flame torch relay on Tuesday morning at Greendale Secondary School.
He handed the torch to the day's first torch bearer Yogesh Kumar, 14.
The flame is travelling through Singapore's northeast district and will reach Temasek Polytechnic on Tuesday evening where Foreign Minister is the guest of honour.
The torch relay was kicked off at last Friday's flame arrival ceremony held at the National University of Singapore. More than 750 performers put on a spectacular show with a float parade and choreographed mass formations to welcome the Youth Olympic Flame to Singapore after its journey to five cities across the globe.
On Monday morning, the torch began its journey at Potong Pasir's St Andrew's Village and went through the heartland of Potong Pasir, Serangoon, Bedok, Marine Parade and Simei. It also made a brief appearance at East Coast Park.
The torch will be racing down Tampines Avenue 2 on Tuesday evening in the hands of 11-year-old Nurhidayah Rahmat, who is the youngest torch- bearer for the inaugural YOG, and indeed, one of the youngest for any Olympic torch relay.
Ajit Singh, 82, former school teacher, discipline master and hockey player at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, will be running along Woodlands Drive 17 during his turn as torch-bearer on Wednesday, the fourth day of the six-day relay.
The grand finale of the flame journey, will take place on Friday at the Promontory@ Marina Bay, where Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will light the cauldron and officially open Celebration @ Marina Bay.
-- ST
Youth Olympic Village welcomes first full contingent from Zimbabwe
SINGAPORE: The first full contingent taking part in the Youth Olympic Games has arrived at Changi Airport this morning.
Upon touchdown, the team comprising 27 athletes and 11 officials from Zimbabwe headed for the Games Village at Nanyang Technological University to a simple welcome.
The Youth Olympic Village held an official opening ceremony later in the morning as it threw open its doors to some 5,000 athletes and officials.
The other full contingent that arrived was the team from Russia.
-CNA/wk
Northwest joins YOG relay
IT MIGHT be the fourth day of the Youth Olympic Games torch relay. But the flame continued to capture the imagination of the public, and in particular, those in the North West of Singapore on Wednesday.
From the moment the flame was lit at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) by guest-of-honour Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, and passed to HCI pole vaulter Sean Lim, every torchbearer was cheered on.
Along Bukit Timah Road, construction workers working on the upcoming train stations stopped to take pictures, while students from schools along the route also lined the streets to cheer the torchbearers on.
The flame is making its way to the Republic Polytechnic, where the community celebration will be held.
-- ST
YOG goes paperless with 3-in-1 card for opening & closing ceremonies
SINGAPORE : The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore is going paperless - in its opening and closing ceremonies on August 14 and 26 respectively.
It is using a three-in-one prepaid card system, which is a "first" for any Olympic event.
The lucky spectators who will be in Singapore for the opening or closing ceremonies have been promised a hassle-free experience.
Each will be given a special card.
With it, the user can do three things - get into the venue; enjoy free
public transport, which is strongly recommended by the organisers; and
pay for services and goods at selected outlets.
This card system replaces the usual paper ticket system.
"In the conventional days, we use tickets... and my guys will have to
use the pace counter to count. Now, it's all electronic," said Richard
Loong, operations director for the Opening & Closing Ceremonies.
The back of the card is colour-coded to indicate the section the spectator should be seated in.
The organisers also have added features to prevent people from sneaking in.
"The cards have (noted that you've) accessed the compound, so it will
not allow you to access again. So our system will prompt the ticket
checker to disallow them entry," said Loong.
"When you go out, you will also have a wristband to signify that you've
gone out of the compound, so that's another measure put in place," he
added.
Besides being a collector's item, the card is still useful after the Games. It can be used as a regular transit card.
As for the individual events and matches, entry to the venues stays with the paper ticket. - CNA /ls
YOG fever sweeps Southwest
THE Youth Olympic Games fever is set to hit the South West of Singapore.
The fifth day of the Singapore leg of the journey of the Youth Olympic flame began at Safti Military Institute on Thursday morning.
'The enthusiasm is very real and it's infectious," said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the launch, where he was the guest-of-honour.
'It's still early days but everybody who has been involved in making the YOG a special experience in Singapore has shown the world what Singapore can do on a scale like this.'
The flame will pass through Jurong, Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi and Commonwealth on Thursday.
-- ST
YOG: Turkey beat Iran 4-2 in girls' football
SINGAPORE: Competition at the Youth Olympic Games officially kicked off Thursday evening with girls' football.
The Iran-Turkey match took place at Jalan Besar Stadium.
The girls from Iran wore Fifa-approved attire - white cap and trousers -- in place of the traditional headscarves
The girls from Turkey showed their mettle early in the game, scoring in the sxith minute.
A second goal quickly followed in the 14th minute - except that it was for the wrong side - to level the score.
Iran grabbed the lead in the 16th minute but lost it by netting an own goal in the second half.
Turkey went on to win the match 4-2.
-CNA/wk
YOG: Singapore off to a good start in boys' football match
SINGAPORE: Singapore got off to a winning start in the Youth Olympic Games football competition on Friday.
The boys played in front of a sell-out 6,000 crowd at the Jalan Besar Stadium, beating Zimbabwe 3-1.
Singapore wasted no time in taking an early lead.
Ammirul Mazlan gave his team a dream start, smashing the ball into the top corner in the first minute of play.
Singapore's charges went on to score two more goals in the half, thanks to striker Muhaimin Suhaimi.
The Africans got a consolation goal in the second half through a penalty, but Albert Kusemwa's effort was too little too late.
Singapore's next opponent is Montenegro, who they will play against on August 19.
- CNA/wk
YOG kicks off officially in spectacular opening ceremony
SINGAPORE: The inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) officially opened Saturday in a spectacular blaze of colour, with International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge hailing it as a new chapter in the Olympic movement.
With the Singapore skyline as an impressive backdrop, some 7,000 singers and dancers performed in an opening ceremony on a floating platform at Marina Bay.
"Tonight we open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic movement," International Olympic Committee president Rogge told the 27,000-capacity crowd and a worldwide television audience in declaring the Games open.
"From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global forum that combines sport, education and culture."
The Games, which feature athletes aged 14 to 18, are a project
Rogge has championed since becoming IOC chief in 2001, with the event
designed as a stepping stone for youngsters striving to compete at an
Olympics proper.
Some 3,600 athletes from 205 countries will take part in the 26 events
that make up the traditional Olympics, with a simultaneous cultural and
education programme running to teach them about Olympic values and
global issues.
Some of the sports have been adapted, with new formats like street basketball and triathlon with mixed gender teams.
There will even be competitions with mixed teams from different nationalities.
Addressing the athletes, Dr Rogge said the Games would help them "learn the difference between winning and being a champion".
"To win, you merely have to cross the finish line," he said. "To be a
champion, you have to inspire admiration for your character, as well as
for your physical talent."
As well as Rogge, the ceremony was attended by Singapore Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong and Youth Olympic Games ambassador Yelena Isinbaeva, the
Olympic pole-vault champion and world record-holder.
Other Games ambassadors, swimming sensation Michael Phelps and sprint king Usain Bolt, sent messages of support.
The golden moment came when the final torch-bearer - 15-year-old
Singapore national sailor Darren Choy - appeared to lit the Youth
Olympic Games cauldron.
After two-and-a-half years, the country's dream has finally ignited -
along with the aspirations of the 3,600 participating youth athletes.
The Games run from August 14 to 26.
-AFP/wk/ls
Yuka bags first YOG gold
JAPAN'S Yuka Sato won the first gold medal of the Youth Olympic Games today when she triumphed in the girls' triathlon final at East Coast Park.
The only competitor in the event with a top-10 finish at last year's World Junor Championships, Sato was one of hte favourites to strike gold. And she lived up to expectations. A surging run brought her to the front of hte pack at the end of the first run leg, a lead she did not relinquish. She won in 1 hr 49.69 sec.
Australia's Ellie Salthouse, who won the YOG Oceania Qualifier as well as the 2009 Aquathlon World Championships finished a mere 14.7sec behind in second (1hr 1 min 4.39 sec), with Kelly Whitley of the US taking third place. Singapore's Clara Wong was 30th out of the 32-strong field in 1hr 21 min 30.85 sec. Two competitors did not finish the race after a bike crash.
-- ST
YOG: Team Singapore weightlifter Joel Law withdraws from competition
SINGAPORE : Team Singapore weightlifter, 17-year-old Joel Law, has withdrawn from competing in the Youth Olympic Games due to medical reasons.
The teenager has a hairline fracture on his rib, making him medically unfit to participate in the Games.
He said that he is very disappointed that he is unable to represent the country as he had been training for almost two years for the competition. - CNA/ms
YOG: Singapore's Rainer Ng, Cheryl Lim fail to qualify for swimming finals
SINGAPORE : In the Youth Olympic Games and swimming, Singapore's Rainer Ng failed to qualify for the finals of the Boys' 100-metre Backstroke at the Singapore Sports School.
Rainer finished fifth in the semi-finals and was just 3 hundredth of a second away from making the cut for the Final 8.
And in the Girls' 50-metre Breaststroke, the Republic's Cheryl Lim finished last in her semi-final race.
In football, Iran have bounced back to claim their first win in
the Girls' football competition, following a 1-0 result over Papua New
Guinea.
The Iranians lost 4-2 in their opening match to Turkey.
They will advance to the semi-finals if the Turkish team beat or draw
with Papua New Guinea in the final Group A game on Wednesday.
And in Group B, Equatorial Guinea defeated Trinidad & Tobago 3-1. - CNA/ms
YOG: Chinese weightlifter Yuan Tian wins gold in 48kg category
SINGAPORE : Chinese female weightlifter Yuan Tian has won the Gold in the 48-kilogramme category of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
On Sunday afternoon at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall, she lifted 85 kilogrammes in the Snatch, which was a new world youth record.
And minutes later, Yuan Tian set another world record by lifting 105 kilogrammes in the Clean and Jerk, for a combined total of 190 kilogrammes.
Sirivimon Pramongkol of Thailand took the silver with her combined lift of 163 kilogrammes, while Genesis Rodriquez of Venezuela settled for the bronze medal.
Over in Fencing, Singapore's Liane Wong was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Foil competition on Sunday afternoon.
The 16-year-old CHIJ Toa Payoh student lost 15-5 to her Russian opponent.
In the Boys' sabre competition, World Junior Champion Richard Hubers is
through to the semi-finals and is the favourite to add the YOG gold
medal to his resume.
Switching to rowing, another German youth world champion, Felix Bach
clocked the fastest time of 3 minutes 22.25 seconds to go through to the
semi-finals of the 1,000-metre single sculls event.
Nadzrie finished fifth, the last in his group, with a timing of 3
minutes and 40 seconds - a good 9 seconds behind his personal best - in
the Men's Single Scull Heat. He will now take part in the repechage on
Monday at Marina Reservoir.
Meanwhile, the Republic's female rower Joanna Chan set a new personal
best of 4 minutes 4.54 seconds in the Women's Single Scull Heat. But her
fourth place finish in the heats means that she will also take part in
Monday's repechage.
Team Singapore also got their 3-on-3 basketball campaign underway on Sunday, when the girls lost 33-22 to Germany.
And in the Boys Preliminary outing against the Central African Republic, Singapore lost 25-17. - CNA/ms