SINGAPORE'S BID FOR 2010 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES ADVANCES - BID COMMITTEE DELEGATION ATTENDS IOC WORKSHOP AT LAUSANNE

Singapore, 18 September 2007 – A delegation of five members of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Bid Committee are in Lausanne, Switzerland, this week to participate in an International Olympic Committee (IOC) workshop for 2010 YOG Candidate Cities, which will take place from 18 to 19 Sep 07. (For details of the YOG and the Bid Committee members, please see annexes).

2 Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Mr Teo Ser Luck, will lead the delegation as advisor to the Singapore Bid Committee.

3 “In the coming months, we look forward to presenting Singapore’s bid and showcase why we believe Singapore is the best city to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010. We are ready to stage a model Youth Olympic Games that will inspire the youth of the world,” Mr Teo said.

4 The

Singapore

bid has the full support of Mr Ng Ser Miang, IOC Member in

Singapore

. The Singapore Bid Committee is working closely with Mr Ng on a Bid that includes innovative and exciting proposals, all of which will serve to strengthen the Olympic Movement among young people both in

Singapore

, as well as the rest of the world.

5 With the submission of

Singapore

’s YOG Candidature File due on 26 October,

Singapore

’s participation in the workshop marks an important milestone in the Lion City’s active bid development process. The workshop provides a platform for serious Candidate Cities to obtain detailed information on Bid procedures and Host City requirements.

Singapore

is already making deep investments in youth, especially in education, social programmes and sports, including the development of the city’s sporting infrastructure. This infrastructure provides an excellent stage on which to conduct the world’s first Youth Olympic Games. Together with the energy and enthusiasm with which the Bid Committee and the people of Singapore have embraced the prospect of becoming a Host City, Singapore is an ideal choice as the first city to host the Youth Olympic Games, which will involve more than 3,500 world class athletes and 875 officials from no less than 202 IOC member countries.

7 When the IOC Session unanimously embraced the idea of a Youth Olympic Games on 5 July 2007, they noted that the intent is to create a programme of athletic activities that emphasises how the games are played, as much as, the final outcome of a competition. In doing so, the Youth Olympics will both promote the health of young people through athletic activities, as well as educate them on the benefits and value of sports.

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