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Asian Youth Games Singapore 2009


The first ever Asian Youth Games will be held in Singapore in June 2009 but I am surprised that the momentum of such a regional games has not gained momentum among Singaporeans locally with just two months to go.

I believe not many Singaporean adults, let alone Singapore youths will be able to tell you exactly when the actual commencement date of the games is as well as further details of the games such as the games venue and the sports, which will be played.

What has happened? Why is there such a dearth of publicity of Asian Youth Games? Asian Youth Games is a games which will test Singapore’s organizational and management capability for a game which will be even bigger that it will host: the Youth Olympics which is just next year!

Since there is not much publicity for Asian Youth Games locally, which clearly results in the apathy of many Singaporeans especially the youth, it is hence not surprising that the Youth Olympics has gathered only lukewarm response likewise. I still remember the government’s laudable efforts in galvanizing the country for its bid for the Youth Olympics and when our country won the bid, the passion for Youth Olympics seems to just fizzle off then.

Why is there such a drastic drop in the passion of the organizers in galvanizing the nation as a whole for these two events? Has the economic meltdown affected the budget for publicity, put an end to the fervent mood of Singaporeans or causes the government to focus its attention on something that is more critical and urgent? i.e to ensure the employability of its people and the sustainability of its economy?

No matter what the mood and attitude of Singaporeans have on welcoming these two great events on our island, one thing for sure is that should Singapore fails to produce a successful game, our good reputation in hosting world-class events will be tarnished, and this may deter future organizers from considering our island for their events.
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