Light the way for the Youth Olympic Flame

Before the first Youth Olympic Games in August 2010, the Youth Olympic Flame will blaze the trail across the world to one city each on the continents of Europe, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and Asia.

The Flame will be lit in Greece before traveling to Berlin (Germany), Dakar (Senegal), Mexico City (Mexico), Auckland (New Zealand) and Seoul (Republic of Korea).

The Flame will arrive in Singapore for a six-day round-island torch relay before it lights the cauldron at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Let the Games begin!

7 months to go

Yesterday was the opening event for the last CAN! festival. As I was getting ready for the event, I remembered that it was exactly one year ago that we unveiled our logo at SMU Green. It was also the first CAN! event and the precursor to the CAN! festival. How time flies when you are having fun

What was so special about the event one year ago was, among other things, how a group of NTU students had got together to design a Rube Goldberg launch mechanism to unveil the logo. And they wowed the audience.

CAN stands for Create Action Now and is a call for action to everyone to do something for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

So it was interesting when Sabrina (did I get the spelling right?), who used to intern with us, told me yesterday about her final year project – to organise a kite workshop for other students. The goal – to fly 176 kites to mark 176 days before YOG (I had to gasp for air for the short time left). But the project is in need of funding and sponsorship.

It was interesting because we had talked about the idea ourselves – flying hundreds of kites with our logo on them to celebrate Singapore hosting the Youth Olympic Games. But somehow the project never took off because of time, resources and other more pressing matters.

I am happy that the idea is still alive and a group of students could see through the project.

By hosting the Youth Olympic Games, one of the many things we hope to happen is for as many people as possible to be inspired by this once in a life time event to go out there and do something for themselves, for others, for this inaugural event – totally self-initiated.

We may be having our last CAN! festival but come on everyone, you can still create action now. You can make things happen with 7 months to go before the first-ever Youth Olympic Games. For one thing, I hope the kites will take flight.

Singapore 2010 Friendship Camp

The Singapore 2010 Friendship Camp was a highlight for the 400 youths who came to Singapore from 8 to 12 December 2009.

Many came, shy and anxious about having to meet strangers who might not speak the same language.  They soon realized they had nothing to worry about.

Over the many activities packed within the 5 days of the camp, the young people quickly became fast friends as the days zipped past.

What did they do exactly? They tried high element obstacles, learned how to dragon boat, grooved to a mass dance, visited Hort Park and more.

On the last night before they jetted home, participants partied, hugged, cried, took photographs and started an autograph frenzy.

What’s going to keep the friendship going? Their answer: Facebook!

Full of endless energy!

Participants were treated to an island adventure!

Showing off his scrap book. Every participant made his/her own scrap book filled with photographs, autographs and notes to one another.

Whee! I trust you guys!

Partying through the night. (no alcohol of course)

Klim shares a green moment with a participant.

I'll miss you guys!

121st IOC Session XIII IOC Congress (a most belated post)

As I watch the landscape rush by, the browns, the soft greens, the blues and greys. I think to myself that it is good to be back in Europe again.

There is a hush in Denmark that we never experience in Singapore. Even in the tropical forests and the mangrove swamps, there is constant movement, ceaseless sound. Here, there is a silence, a stillness trembling at the edge of what must surely be magic- the magic that has given birth to the land of fairy tales- the land of Hans Christian Andersen.

In the tropical warmth and rains of Singapore, in the noisome and vivacious sunlight, I have grown up reading the fairy tales of the cold mountains and the frosts of the Northern lands of Europe where the shadows are stepped with secrets and their princesses are beautiful, tall and pale.

It was with such anticipation, that I stepped off the plane and into the morning hours of Denmark and was whisked away to the Bella Center where CEO and the other directors were already working away.

As I made my way to the Bella Center, listening to the London 2012 representatives chatting away in the shared vehicle, my eyes found it unfamiliar to see so much sky. Looking up into the endless blue, the ground was stolen from me and I stumbled, feeling as if I were falling backwards into the sky.

The wind blew, and between the biting cold and the exhilaration, I found my words stolen away from me.

Guess what Lyo and Merly love to eat?

As you all might have heard, the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games mascots made their debut over the weekend.

Lyo – which stands for Lion of the Youth Olympics is a lion cub with a mane as fiery as his passion for life. He wants to win a gold medal in international basketball competitions.

Merly – is a merlion cub who loves exploring the waters and beyond. Her dream is to become an environmental scientist.

Like all young people, Lyo and Merly need their food to get through the day. Born and bred in Singapore, both of them are fans of the local delights.

Lyo loves: Chili crab and Chicken Rice with loads of chili. A spicy palate for a fiery guy.

Bite into the fleshy chunks of sweet crab meat!

Chicken rice with lots of chili hits the spot

For a cool girl like Merly, she  loves:

Ice Kachang - a great dessert for a hot day in Singapore!

The ice shavings hide a mix of treasures

For athletes and visitors coming to Singapore next year, be sure to try these dishes at the nearby food courts or hawker centers.

Goodbye Sivalingam

Even though we will not get to see David Sivalingam in action at the Youth Olympic Games next year, he has already made a lasting impression on athletes, Singapore and his loved ones.

His action over the past years is what people will remember. He was former coach of Tampines Rovers Football Club in the S.League and also coach of Singapore’s under—14 football team that played in the Asian Youth Games.

V Sivalingam collapsed while playing in a soccer match on Sunday, 1 Nov,  to raise funds for paralysed former national player S Anthonysamy.

The incident happened half an hour into the game and the 51—year—old was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

He is survived by a wife, two sons and a daughter.

Zainudin Nordin, president, Football Association of Singapore, said: “We are all devastated by the news. Our condolences and thoughts are with Sivalingam’s family at this very difficult time and we will render all the necessary assistance in their time of need.”

The Singapore 2010 team sends their condolences to the family and friends who have lost him.

YOG Sports Presenters Unveiled

120 Fresh Young Faces!

We're raring to go!

No it wasn’t any magazine/newspaper search for the next hot thing.

Instead, the Youth Sports Presenters for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) were introduced to the world on 23 October at Cathay Orchard Cineleisure.

They were not selected for their pretty faces. Instead, they were handpicked based on their presentation skills, vocal quality and personality.

Aged 13-29, these presenters will bring their own personality and spice to YOG sports events in August 2010. They will be seen and heard at competition venues as announcers, commentators, hosts and mascot talent.

The selection process was not easy as Mark Richmond and team from the Sports Presentation Division had to sieve out these young talents from an initial group of 500 hopefuls. Through a series of 10 training camps held between Dec 08 and Mar 09, the final 120 was shortlisted.

If you find them familiar, some of them had already made their debut at the Junior Hockey World Cup in June and the Asian Youth Games in July.

With less than a year to the Games, the presenters have a lot of hard work ahead of them. They will be practicing and honing their sports presentation skills at various sporting events and exercises. You might even spot them at the next football match you go to.

Hear what some of them have to say as they begin their journey to the Games:

Cleo Chew, “What really got me is that this is the first YOG, it is quite cool to be part of history. This is a first for me, to be able to interact with international youth athletes and huge crowds. I’ve learnt how to handle spontaneous situations and pressure during competitions.”

Adam Osman, “I’m a big sports fan, I play sports, but I don’t think I will be able to become a professional athlete. It is an amazing experience to become a sports presenter, it is the next best thing for me.”

List of sports presenters (Sports, Name, Age)

ATHLETICS	Alexis Fan	25
	Kimberly Wang	18
	Matthew Goh	18
	Matthew Liu	20
	Michelle Sng (Team Leader)
	Stephanie Leong	15
BADMINTON	Aishwarya Chand	14
	Gabriel Lue	20
	Ilene Fong	13
	Nikhil Anggapan (Team Leader)	13
	Nur Sheereen Bte Amran	14
BASKETBALL	Darshen Kunasheran	16
	Julius Tan	18
	Ysabel Yaneza	15
	Sri Rathi Mei Ling	26
	Stephanie Siow (Team Leader)	16
	Vincent Lim	24
BOXING	Amira Tamiri	19
	Andrea Flavia William	17
	Goh Jun Yi	21
	Kristopher Fu (Team Leader)	18
	Nuraishah Binte Ibrahim	21
	Yuvan Mohan	21
CYCLING	Amirah Harith	18
	Danial Yeap Bin Jamal	19
	Faroz Marzoki (Team Leader)	21
	Nadia Ahmad Samdin	19
	Vanessa Ho	18
DIVING	Emiline Elangovan	14
	Gloria Ang	16
	Jody Hong (Team Leader)	15
	Yuen De Wei	19
EQUESTRIAN	Chew Yi Jun (Team Leader)	18
	Kathleen Tan	18
	Yang Hui Chun	18
	Yang Hui Yu	18
FENCING	Benjamin Leow	17
	Evia Natra Bte Anuwar	17
	Felicia Low (Team Leader)	19
	Rahayu Amirah	13
	Yustynn Panicker	16
FOOTBALL	Adam Osman (Team Leader)	23
	Alexandra Hemmer	15
	Mansoor Amir	20
	Najid Sultan	20
	Muhd Nurafiq Bin Samsudin	24
	Sri Ranjini Mei Hua	25
GYMNASTICS	Akif Halqi	13
	Cleo Chew	16
	Gloria Ang	16
	Nawal Alhaddad	20
	Nazyra Binte Suhairi	17
	Yap Cheng Boon (Team Leader)	27
HANDBALL	Fitri Anugerah	18
	Kelly Latimer	22
	Marlene Tan	19
	Melvin Chong (Team Leader)	20
	Najid Sultan	20
	Yap Zhi Wen	15
HOCKEY	Barbara Latimer (Team Leader)	18
	Caleb Lim	17
	Emelyn Ang	19
	Lisa Loh	19
	Muhd Syihabuddin BA (Bob)	18
	Nur Hadziqah	14
JUDO	Isaac Neo (Team Leader)	16
	Ariel Tee	16
	Rachel Ang	15
	Zachary Ng	17
	Melissa Teo	20
MODERN PENATHLON	Adam Osman (Team Leader)	23
	Deborah Choo (Team Leader)	20
	Victoria Chen	16
	Sanjeev Menon	15
	Abigail Chng	16
ROWING/CANOEING	Chia Dezhong	17
	Felicia Ng	17
	Keley Tan (Team Leader)	20
	Oswald Yeo	17
	Sathyavani Krishnan	15
	Siti Mariam	22
SAILING	Matthew Liu	20
	Sri Rathi Mei Ling	26
	Heidi Chan	16
	Griselda Khng (Team Leader)	19
	Sri Ranjini Mei Hua	25
SHOOTING	Marcus Yew	22
	Yuvan S/O Mohan (Team Leader)	21
	Sherilyn Liew	15
	Zhang Shi Jia	16
SWIMMING	Irfaizah Tukiman	22
	Kelly Latimer	22
	Marcus Yew	22
	Adam Osman (Team Leader)	23
	Aldea Zhang	16
TABLE TENNIS	Sherah Tan	16
	Fatin Halina	16
	Ainiah Raquib	17
	Sim Xiangli	20
	Fung Fun Man (Team Leader)	24
	Nicholas Lui	16
TAEKWONDO	Gaurav Jaiswal	16
	Nicole Lim (Team Leader)	20
	Tang Rei-En	16
	Woo Su Xian	14
	Vincent Lim	24
TENNIS	Jeannette Ke (Team Leader)	20
	Ajay Singh Panoo	14
	Linette Lin	21
	Mansoor Amir	20
	Chelsea Chia	16
TRIATHLON	Michelle Verma (Team Leader)	23
	Joash Chong	18
	Veronica Tang	20
	Kelly Low	29
VOLLEYBALL	Cleo Chew	16
	Firdaus Firlany	15
	Kenneth Foo (Team Leader)	19
	Syuhaidah Bacon	16
	Syahidah Johari	19
	Sonjia Yam	16
WEIGHTLIFTING	Siti Nur Atiqah	15
	Cheryl Lew	16
	Deepa DO Chandra Pillai	19
	Yuen De Wei	19
	Adam Esoof Piperdy (Team Leader)	19
WRESTLING	Jinnie Chew (Team Leader)	18
	Fiona Loh	15
	Isaac Neo	15
	Rubini Nathan	17
	Warrick Wee	20

Calling for YOG entertainers

If you can juggle and have a weird fashion sense, we're looking for you!

Photo by flickr.com, super weirdo entertainment

Fancy having the eyes of the world on you as you perform on stage? The stage happens to be the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games taking place next August. You could be part of the entertainment presentations that athletes, spectators and TV audiences see in between events at the Games. So come and show us your stuff…you could be a part of the first Youth Olympic Games happening right here in Singapore.

What?
Audition to be part of the entertainment team for Singapore 2010. Bring your instruments, music, tricks and yourself. Sing a song, do a band item, a cheer or some radical tricks. You have a minute to dazzle us with your talent.

When and where?
Friday, 23 October 2009, front entrance of Cathay Cineleisure Orchard.

How?
Pre-register now by downloading the form and emailing it back to us to ensure your spot, but remember to bring a signed hardcopy with you on the day! Pre-registration closes on Thursday, 22 October 2009.

On-site registration is also available from 4.00pm to 8.00pm on audition day but subject to availability.
If you are below 18 years of age, you will have to get a parent or guardian’s signed consent.

Programme
4:00pm > On-site registration and audition allocation opens. Check-in for pre-registered participants.
5:30pm > Auditions commence
8:00pm > Registration closes
9:30pm > Auditions end
*Disclaimer: You can perform anything you like in the one-minute audition. However, organisers reserve the right to suspend the act if it is deemed dangerous, hazardous or offensive.
See you at the audition!

Sports Presenters

coming soon

2010: F1 and YOG combine forces!

This year, the F1 rocks concert was a star attraction.

Black Eyed Peas in da house. Photo by Claudia Lim, flickr.com

BEYONCE, BLACK EYED PEAS, JACKY CHEUNG, NO DOUBT & LINDSAY LOHAN... what else could you ask for?

Although I didn’t have the fortune to attend this concert due to er..budget constraints, I caught it on television yesterday night.

The concert was so awesome you could hardly tell it was Fort Canning. The open area was packed with a sea of jumping, screaming people. The live performances of Beyonce and No Doubt was so energetic I jumped off my sofa involuntarily. (it’s true!)

A mad crowd. Photo by: Claudia Lim, flickr.com

So imagine how much more amazing it would be if next year’s Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and F1 combine forces to stage a concert to celebrate the two mega events?

Just last night, Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Community Development, Youth & Sports Ministry, said: “Maybe we can have a bridging event between the two. If you look at F1 Rocks as a potential event, we could possibly use it and scale it up to become a very big party to link the two. A big party as a closure for YOG and a party that starts the F1 season in Singapore.”

If it were true, 2010 will be certainly an exciting, adrenaline pumping year for Singapore.

Let’s just say, YOG rocks too.