By Les Tan/Red Sports
A Red Crew member conducting an interview during the Youth Olympic Games. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
To say that the Red Crew misses the Youth Olympic Games is an understatement. Some of us are still feeling the post-games blues after spending two weeks putting out a total of 123 stories just on Singapore athletes.
Our goal at the start was simple — cover all 130 Singapore athletes during the Games, tell their stories and take their action photographs.
So 27 volunteer crew members began that adventure together on August 13th. We worked without a physical headquarters. We had none. Everyone depended on the other to show up, to do the work, to carry their own weight.
Every morning was the start of our own crew relay race. Watch the game, shoot the action, interview the athletes, write the story, edit the photos, write the captions. Then upload, edit, publish. Repeat. For 14 days.
Some of us did not even see each other for the whole Games as we fanned out across the island to cover the Singaporeans in all 26 sports.
Some of us weren’t even in Singapore. Yvonne Yap, a past graduate of our internship programme, jumped in to edit stories while studying in Australia.
As with any long race, the start is easy, the middle is rough, the end, well, just plain tough. Some of the crew were wiped out by a combination of work and studies. Some were just plain wiped out. We crossed the finish line, not a little wearied, but wiser to our own weaknesses as individuals, but comforted by the strength that comes from working as part of a larger crew.
But we are all glad for the experience, to have seen our Singapore athletes up close in the Youth Olympic Games.
We believe that their battle on the field of play is a story worth telling. It didn’t matter if our men and women won or lost. The fact that they wore the flag of the five stars and crescent moon made their story worth, at the very least, a photo and five paragraphs.
We did not gloss over the results. If they came in last, we said so. If they got thrashed, we said so. If they tried their best but still lost, we said so. But when they won, well, we surely did say so too.
Our young athletes come this way but once and it was our privilege to tell their story.
Red Sports. Always Game.
Red Crew (Youth Olympic Games, August 14-26th, 2010)
Delle Chan • Chan Hui Mui • Alan Chiang • Koh Yizhe • Lee YQ • Lai Jun Wei • Jan Lin • Sherry Lim • Vanessa Lim • Ethan Lou • Low Sze Sen • Marvin Lowe • Mai Abdul Malek • Ng Cheng Cong • Ng Enna • Noor Farhan • Ivan Ong • Hariharan Rajandeeran • Tan Jon Han • Kenneth Tan • Thomas Tan • Colin Tung • Wong Hong Yong • Erwin Wong • Yvonne Yap
Another Red Crew member interviewing Jabez Su, captain of the basketball team. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Hi Les,
Whether is indoor or outdoor Games, the Red Crew who had to stand for hours to do their job well. Despite the hot sun or even drizzling bad weather days, you guys are always there updating us the latest authentic articles and feature us the best actions pictures.
Kudos to all RedSports journalists and the volunteers’ crew members are truly the unsung heroes of the Games. I salute you for your tireless efforts for all your hardworks.
Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Ben. : ) We appreciate your encouraging words.
Of all the Singapore performances, Clara’s touched me the most. It was inspiring. I wished I was there to see it in person.
With Redsports, the Singapore athletes have a bridge with the locals, to know more about them and their hard work.
Thank you to Redsports crew for their hard efforts and dedication to cover any athlete, any event! 🙂
Thanks, Diane. : )
Redsports journalists covered YOG with their hearts especially for Team Singapore ! You have been one of the first to publish Team Singapore competition schedule. One of the first to cover Cub’s warm up matches leading up to
the games. I really like the photos and articles as they portray not just the action but the struggle and emotions of the athletes. It showed the Olympic spirit. The Red Crew must have it to capture such moments. Continue to believe, put in your hearts and bring us closer to the true spirit of sports !
On behalf of the crew, thanks for the compliments, Ser Luck.
Glad you found the Team Singapore schedule useful!
Dearest Red Crew,
You guys are THE BEST in Singapore! Thank you for bringing us the actions from the arena.
Thanks, Shamrock. First time anyone called us “Dearest”. We feel the need for a group hug coming on. ; )
Les,
Congratulations to you and your crew for a job well done. I ran into your crew at every venue, in their distinctive red shirts, and exchanged many a laugh with most of them. As the Games wore on, I came also to rely on RedSports for the latest news on Spore’s athletes, useful for me as quick reference as I prepare my radio reports, and to counter-check that I got my facts right. As a fellow reporter, I appreciate the dedication that went into taking the photos and writing up the stories.
Keep up the good work!!!
Phil Goh
Hey thanks, Philip. Very kind of you to say so out loud and publicly!
keep up the gd work!
Thanks, Linus : )