Following the announcement that Singapore was selected the host city of the first Youth Olympic Games being held in 2010, the city erupted in celebrations Thursday.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called it a new era for Southeast Asian sport. He told thousands of cheering supporters wearing red and white – the colours of the national flag – “it is a great honour and privilege for all of us. It will be the first time that the Olympic flame will be in Southeast Asia and in Singapore. We will be the focus of a new era for sporting development for Southeast Asia and Singapore. We worked very hard, it was a national effort, but more than that it was a people effort”.
Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence and President of the Singapore National Olympic Council said in a media release, “we have taken our first step to becoming an Olympic City and we look forward to working with the IOC, the International Sports Federations and the National Olympic Committees around the world to deliver a great Youth Olympic Games in 2010”.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck credited citizen support which included “Support Singapore” videos, websites, banners, T-shirts and car decals, the collection of signatures and pledges in support of Singapore 2010, and carrying “I support Singapore 2010” on corporate collaterals.
The city is proposing 24 venues, with four being built as temporary facilities, including one large cluster of 13 in its Marina-Kallang area.
The Youth Olympic Village would be located at a new $423 million (U.S.) student residential complex at the National University of Singapore.
Singapore is budgeting $75.5 million (U.S.) to run the Games, which would cover everything from educational and cultural programs to development of services and transport.
Singapore’s bid included a comprehensive Education and Culture Program. The proposed bid also includes world-class IT infrastructure, strong governance and finance, an efficient transportation system, and reliable security.
According to Singapore 2010 the compactness of the city-state and the efficient public transport system also ensures that sports venues and facilities, the Youth Olympic Village and accommodation facilities will be within 30 minutes traveling time of one another.
The 2010 Youth Games will be held in August 2010.
