YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

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(Budget and preparations): **

32.

Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) whether he will give an update on the budget and preparations for Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG); (b) how can ordinary citizens take part in making this an extraordinary event for Singapore; and (c) whether there is a plan to include the marginalised sector in the making of YOG 2010.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: The preparations for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are on track. Since securing the bid to host the Games, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has been in close contact with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to work out the detailed requirements for the Games. Key plans such as sports competitions and venues, the Culture and Education programme, Youth Olympic Village, transport, logistics and games operations, have all been approved by the IOC. Upgrading of venues and procurement of equipment and support services are also well underway and on schedule. The IOC has commended SYOGOC for making good progress despite the very hectic timeline. We will only be able to provide an update on the budget after we have obtained approval from the IOC and the Cabinet for the standard of services to be provided.

I am glad to report that SYOGOC has created many opportunities to involve people from all walks of life. To date, about 15,000 people have signed up to be volunteers and will begin their training from September. Our youth are actively engaged. For instance, the Culture and Education Programme has enabled students from our schools and junior colleges to take part in YOG through the Olympic Education Programme and Friends@YOG Programme. To date, 209 of our schools have been twinned with schools from 112 National Olympic Committees in the Friends@YOG Programme. The cultural exchange programmes will present many opportunities to learn more about the culture and people of the respective countries.

On the corporate side, three local companies have come on board as sponsors. Changi Exhibition Centre will provide a logistic hub during the Games; KhattarWong will provide legal services; and Crocodile International will be the Official Apparel Sponsor. As a wide range of products and services will be required to organise the Games, the YOG will also offer significant business opportunities for local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to promote their products on a global platform and associate themselves with the Olympic brand. We expect more local companies to come aboard in the near future. On this note, SYOGOC wishes to welcome more companies on board as sponsors and invite more people to register online to be volunteers for the YOG.

We will make the YOG as inclusive as possible. With less than one year to go, SYOGOC, together with the National Sports Associations and other partners, will be ramping up efforts to provide more opportunities for the public to be part of YOG. This would include opportunities for what Ms Low calls the "marginalised sector". For example, members of the public have been invited to help name the YOG mascots. SYOGOC has also engaged the Council for Third Age (C3A) to organise events for elderly involvement. In addition, SYOGOC has worked with various community partners like Wheelchair Basketball Association, Special Olympics and St. Andrew's School of Autism to involve youths with special needs. At the community and grassroots level, the People’s Association and the Community Development Councils (CDCs) will be involving residents in activities like the YOG Torch Relay and the Olympic Day Run/Walk. For the official YOG Opening Ceremony, there are also plans to bring it to the masses through community celebrations at the different Community Development Councils (CDC) districts.

We hope that the inaugural Youth Olympic Games will be the "People's Games". The competition venues are in our local neighbourhoods. We need our local residents to take pride in and ownership of the Games. People from all over the world and the cameras of the world will be in our neighbourhoods. We need every single resident to proudly showcase Singapore at its best, in our usual understated but dignified way. We need Singaporeans to get involved by decorating their estates, taking part as spectators to cheer the athletes on, as community volunteers to welcome the visitors, as well as participating in the numerous community and city celebrations that are being planned.

All of us in Singapore can be part of YOG – by volunteering, by being gracious hosts and by showing how the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect are truly part of the Singaporean way of life. I look forward to the support of all Singaporeans to make our YOG a success that we all be proud of.