Sport Industry Group

27,000 attend Youth Olympics opening- 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00

A crowd of 27,000 people attended the opening ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympics at the Marina Bay in Singapore as the landmark event began at the weekend.

IOC president Jacques Rogge said the event would inspire young people around the world to take up sport but also teach them the importance of fair play, team work and living healthy lives.

3,600 athletes from 204 countries will compete for 12 days and feature athletes ages 14 to 18 competing in 26 sports.

The two-and-a-half hour opening ceremony was filled with fireworks, towering puppets and colorful dance performances that emphasized the youthful theme of the Games.

‘Tonight we open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic movement,’ IOC president Jacques Rogge told the crowd.

‘From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global event that combines sport, education and culture.’

Despite the widespread publicity and optimistic tone from Singapore, the Youth Olympics have has encountered problems.

Ticket sales have been sluggish despite an $8.9m government publicity campaign featuring large billboards around the city that encouraged neighborhoods to celebrate the Games.

Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee and IOC vice president also dismissed concerns about cost overruns which have dogged Singapore's preparations.

The IOC initially projected in 2007 the Youth Games would cost $30m to stage. By the time Singapore won its bid in 2008, the budget was up to $76m. The government said in July it expects a final bill of $287m.