Youth Olympic Games open amid fanfare
The Youth Olympic Games have begun in Singapore amid fanfare with a glittering opening ceremony.
The inaugural edition of the Games was officially set off on a floating stage with a colorful and an extravagant display of fireworks that kept the fans hooked throughout the ceremony.
Rains were proving to be the spoilsport before the launch of the festivities. However, after a day of intermittent showers, the sky cleared, paving the way for a delightful ceremony.
Present at the official opening ceremony was the President of Singapore S.R. Nathan who was on the floating stage in Marina Bay.
The venue will be involved in hosting some of the events and prominent amongst those is Cycling.
The venue was filled with passionate fans that had turned in their numbers with the official figures suggesting a presence of some 25,000 spectators.
The ceremony was marked by a spirited performance by young drummers and dancers who were glad to showcase their talents at the momentous occasion. The event is being held in a country that is keen on holding high profile sporting events like the Asian Games and Olympics.
Moreover, Singapore looks at this event as an ideal opportunity of giving the world an insight into their organizational capabilities.
During the ceremony, the Olympic flame was carried to the stage on a large dragon boat.
Once the flame reached the stage, it was lit by a sailing event competitor Darren Choy who hails from the host country.
There were some high profile sporting names present on the occasion including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge.
In his opening address, Rogge said that the Games would help in promoting sport at the grass root levels besides giving an opportunity to some of the most talented athletes to show their talent at the bigger stage in the future.
"Over the next 12 days, you will compete with the world's best athletes of your generation; you will test the limits of your abilities and push past them. Many of you will compete at future Olympic Games, all of you will benefit from these youth games," he said.
The 12-day event will see some 3,500 athletes in action - the ages of these athletes’ ranges from 14 to 18.
The athletes will be taking part in a total of 26 Olympic sports. The Games are the brainchild of Rogge, who feels that the platform will help impart important skills in the youth. Besides, the tournament will give them tremendous opportunities of representing their countries at the highest level.
However, critics feel that the Games are only going to further crowd an already crowded international calendar, besides various national and regional championships all across the globe.
It remains to be seen as to how successful the idea is and if it gets the response from the people of Singapore.
Despite the newness of the concept, the IOC has already nominated the Austrian city of Innsbruck as the first city to host the Winter Youth Olympics in 2012.
Nanjing, China is set to stage the next edition of the Games in 2014.
Despite China’s efforts, the local government has been criticized for the rising cost of the Games that has, according to estimates, tripled to the original estimate of less than 90 million U.S. dollars.
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