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FIRST Asia, then the world. Singapore will welcome about 1,000 young athletes from 44 countries next July for the first Asian Youth Games. The Olympic Council of Asia has given Singapore the nod to host the multi-sport event for athletes aged between 14 and 18. Top juniors will be here next year from July 2 to July 10 to compete in sports including athletics, swimming, shooting, table tennis, sailing, basketball and bowling. The event is seen as practice ahead of the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) here in 2010. 'It will be a good way to test our organisational and logistical capabilities,' said Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck. 'It's also an avenue for us to build good relations in the Asian family.' The last time Singapore hosted a multi-sport event was in 1993, when the South-east Asia Games were held here. Singapore had suggested holding the Asian Youth Games as part of its successful bid to stage the YOG. Next year's event will be about a third of the size of the YOG, which will involve 26 sports and 3,600 athletes. The competition venues are expected to be the same. The organisation of next year's Games, to be spearheaded by the Singapore Sports Council, is expected to cost at least $13 million. National sailor Nathan Tang is already hoping to take to the seas in both upcoming games. The 13-year-old Raffles Institution student said: 'Racing with the world's best youth sailors on home waters would be very exciting. I will train hard and aim to get selected, and hope to do Singapore proud.' First roll towards Olympics It is a surprise inclusion in the list of eight confirmed sports for the first Asian Youth Games, to be staged here from July 2-10 next year. Jessie Phua, president of the Singapore and world bowling bodies, was thrilled by the news. Bowling is part of the South-east Asia and Asian Games but is not yet a recognised Olympic discipline. It is something Phua has been trying to change since becoming president of the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ), the sport's world-governing body. 'Being at the Asian Youth Games is a crucial first step to realising the Olympic dream,' said Phua, who took over the FIQ's helm last August. The venue has not been decided but, apart from bowling centres, the organisers are also considering the Indoor Stadium to make it more spectator-friendly. The AYG will see youngsters competing in seven other disciplines. The sports - athletics, swimming and diving, sailing, table tennis, beach volleyball, basketball and shooting - are all standard Summer Olympics fare. Like the YOG, track and field will be staged at the Bishan Stadium, and basketball at the Indoor Stadium. The AYG will involve some 1,000 athletes from 44 countries, including China, South Korea and Saudi Arabia. The popular sport of football is being considered as a ninth discipline and could be staged at schools. Attempts were made to stage all 26 YOG sports but, due to time and resource constraints, Singapore and the Olympic Council of Asia trimmed it to eight. Said YOG organising chief Ng Ser Miang: 'The AYG will have the same elements as the YOG, with culture and education alongside sports, and be a legacy to the youth of Asia. 'I'm especially grateful to my OCA colleagues, in particular president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad, for entrusting Singapore with the first AYG.' Ng chairs the OCA's Advisory Committee, and was instrumental in Singapore's successful bid to host the YOG. He said that the Singapore Sports Council, Ministry of Education and Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee will work together in organising the AYG. Like other major Games, there will be national anthems and medals given out, subject to final clearances from OCA. Athletes and officials will stay in hotels or university hostels, since the proposed YOG Village, University Town, will be completed only in February 2010. Said Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck: 'The Asian Youth Games may not be as big as the Youth Olympics, but it will be a good event for the entire Asian sporting family. 'It will allow our athletes, and those from neighbouring countries, to get valuable international experience ahead of 2010.' Aquatics - Swimming:
Singapore Sports School
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