So Singapore has won the bid to host the world’s first ever Youth Olympic Games. Everyone is going to be talking about it. And you need to get up to speed on the details pronto.
Red Sports is pleased to present this Essential Guide to the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. Now you know!
WHY THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES?
The vision of the YOG is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values. In July 2007, the International Olympic Committee decided to create the YOG as a way of educating, engaging and influencing young athletes to play an active role in their communities.
WHO CAN COMPETE?
Athletes between the ages of 14 to 18. An estimated 3,200 athletes and 800 officials will take part in the YOG.
WHEN WILL THE YOG BE HELD?
The inaugural Summer YOG will be held from 14 to 26 August 2010. Thereafter it will follow a four-year cycle i.e. 2014, 2018 etc. There will also be Winter Youth Olympic Games – in 2012, 2016, 2020 etc. The bidding process for the first Winter Games has been launched.
WHERE WILL THE YOG BE HELD?
If you are a regular Red Sports reader and you don’t know the answer, you ought to be thrown into Marina Bay. But here is the short history of the road to victory:
- July 2007: The Youth Olympic Games are announced at the IOC session in Guatemala City.Eleven cities put themselves forward as candidates: Algiers, Athens, Bangkok, Belgrade, Debrecen, Guatemala City, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Poznan, Singapore and Turin.
- Nov 2007: Five cities are shorlisted – Athens, Bankok, Turin, Moscow and Singapore.
- Jan 2008: Moscow and Singapore are named as finalists.
- Feb 2008: Singapore is announced the winner.
If you’re asking about competition venues, see the next question….
WHAT SPORTS WILL THE YOG FEATURE? WHERE WILL THE COMPETITION VENUES BE?
The 2010 YOG will feature 26 sports and 31 disciplines, spread across 19 venues. (In case you’re wondering, the sport is the broader category and the discipline is the sub-specialty within the sport. For example, aquatics is the sport, and diving and swimming are the two disciplines that the YOG will feature.)
The sports/disciplines and respective competition venues are as follows:
- SPORT (DISCIPLINE) – VENUE
- Aquatics (diving) – Toa Payoh Swimming Complex
- Aquatics (swimming) – Singapore Sports School
- Archery – Kallang Cricket Field
- Athletics – Bishan Stadium
- Badminton – Singapore Indoor Stadium
- Basketball (Olympic) – Singapore Indoor Stadium
- Basketball (Street) – Kallang Netball Centre
- Boxing – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Canoeing (flatwater) – Marina Reservoir
- Cycling (BMX) – Tampines Bike Park
- Cycling (Mountain Bike) – Tampines Bike Park
- Equestrian – Singapore Turf Club Riding School, Kranji
- Fencing – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Football – Choa Chu Kang Stadium & Jurong West Stadium (preliminaries); Bishan Stadium (finals)
- Gymnastics – Bishan Sports Hall
- Handball – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Hockey – National Hockey Centre, Redhill
- Judo – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Modern Pentathlon – Singapore Sports School
- Rowing – Marina Reservoir
- Sailing – National Sailing Centre, East Coast Park
- Shooting – Toa Payoh sports Hall
- Table Tennis – Toa Payoh Sports Hall
- Taekwondo – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Tennis – Kallang Tennis Centre
- Triathlon – East Coast Park
- Volleyball (beach) – Siloso Beach, Sentosa
- Volleyball (indoor) – Singapore Sports School
- Weightlifting – Singapore Sports School
- Wrestling (indoor) – Suntec City Convention Centre
- Wrestling (beach) – Siloso Beach, Sentosa
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be held at the Marina Bay Floating Stadium.
WHAT IS AT STAKE?
Athletes will vie for an anticipated 184 gold medals.
WHERE WILL THE ATHLETES STAY?
In the Youth Olympic Village. The complex is now being constructed at the National University of Singapore, and will be completed in February 2010. It occupies a 19-hectare former golf course, will be built using environmentally sustainable design, and costs an estimated SGD$500 million.
HOW MUCH WILL THE YOG COST?
Excluding the Youth Olympic Village, a budget of SGD$106 million has been set aside.
WILL I BE ABLE TO AFFORD TICKETS TO THE YOG?
The Singapore bid document states that ticket prices will be capped at SGD10; average ticket price for the Opening Ceremony will be SGD38; and average ticket price for the Closing Ceremony will be SGD18. Start saving your pocket money now!