Olympic Games for the Young
The first ever Youth Olympic Games were recently inaugurated in Singapore. This version of the Olympic Games is the newest chapter in an ever expanding line of events. First with the addition of the Paralympics, the Olympics got a very worthy partner. Then we all saw the birth of the fantastic Winter Olympics and now the Youth Games are the first new Games solely dedicated for teenagers between the ages of 14 – 18. We will see a host of brilliant and talented athletes competing in this version of the Games and the very good ones will surely advance to becoming fully fledged Olympic athletes in the future.
The first ever Youth Olympics will be held in Singapore and will run from the 14th till the 26th of August. As this is the first time these Games will be done, they will serve as a learning tool for future Youth Games. All of the problems and kinks will be ironed out for the benefit of future athletes and spectators. The Youth Games will feature 3600 athletes competing in 26 different events, while representing 205 countries. There are estimated to be about 370,000 spectators and along with the Games, 26 cultural and educational programmes will be run. These Games will be used as an effective stepping stone for young athletes to make the cut and go on to becoming future Olympic stars. Those that can shine during these Games will be spotted by trainers and the media and could potentially become future stars.
There will be several differences in these Games as compared to the regular Olympics. Firstly it is the age of the participants, young people aged 14 are not able to compete in the regular Olympics, although sometimes 17 and 18 year olds do get to compete. Another big difference is in some events, basketball has been adapted to become street basketball and by doing so the organisers have given it a fresh new look that would appeal to young athletes. The other sports change is in the triathlon. For the first time mixed gender teams will be featured in the sport. Another difference will be that alongside the Games, cultural and educational programmes will be run teaching the children about the history of the sports they are competing in and the cultural diversity of the host nation. This is a very good way to get some educational material mixed into a sporting tournament. The entire feel of the tournament from the way the website of the event has been designed to the look of the mascots and the logo, looks fresh and funky and fits very well with the theme of youth and factors that appeal to young people.
The Games were thought up by President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge and he was extremely excited at the Opening Ceremony. There were a few concerns over the Games though. People were unsure just how popular these Games would be and whether enough spectators would come out to watch them. The budget was also an issue with rising costs becoming a factor before the Youth Games were opened. The budget for the Youth version of the Games has sky rocketed to almost three times the original budget that was done two years ago. The budget went from being an original $90 million to finally becoming $290 million. The other issue with this version of the Games is the fact that sponsorship uptake has been slow. Unlike the regular Olympics where everyone knows what the viewing figures will be, the Youth Games will have to prove itself as a worthy venue to be able to coax dollars out of sponsors. Still these issues will probably be sorted out in the coming years as this version becomes more popular.
The Youth Olympics are like a dream come true for athletes who were searching for an outlet to prove their talents. These Games provide a firm stepping stone for the regular Olympics and many young athletes could not be happier. We will have to wait and see if this version becomes as popular as some of the others out there and if both participation and sponsorship grow in the future.
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