YOG Organising Committee holds its first meeting
By Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 04 April 2008 1832 hrs

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SINGAPORE : International Olympic Committee (IOC) members will be in town in mid-April to help Singapore kick-start preparations to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

This was revealed by the Singapore Organising Committee, which met for the first time on Friday at its new headquarters in Kay Siang Road.

The 22 committee members were also presented with their Letters of Appointment by the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

The committee comprises five sub-committees, covering the areas of Sports, Culture and Education, Community Outreach, Youth Engagement, and Business and Marketing.

The sub-committees will be headed by the different members of the organising committee. And they will receive tips from members of the IOC.

Ng Ser Miang, Chairman, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, said the IOC Youth Olympic Games Department will be in Singapore in the middle of April to share their knowledge with "our key staff, our Board and also other stakeholders who will be involved in this workshop".

The IOC has advised Singapore not to rush things despite the tight deadline, but stressed that Singapore organisers need to get things started by laying a strong foundation. Infrastructure planning is one area that needs detailed attention.

Goh Kee Nguan, CEO, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, said, "We are looking at not just the conduct of the sports, but more importantly also the experience of the... athletes (and) spectators, to make sure it is something meaningful, something positive."

Some 500 full-time staff will be working at the headquarters of Singapore's Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee during the Games.

Other uses for the headquarters building will also include training volunteers and test running the IT system. To do this, for a start, about 100 full-time staff will be recruited over the next few months to get down to business by June or July. - CNA/ms