ORGANISING THE GAMES

An Olympic Games Organising Committee typically has seven years to plan and prepare for the Games but Singapore had had to make do with just two and a half years to put together the first YOG.

The Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) was set up to manage preparations for the Games. The committee was led by Ng Ser Miang, Chairman of the SYOGOC, and Teo Ser Luck, the Singapore Permanent Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports. The committee also included former and current sports personalities such as hockey player Annabel Pennefather, swimmer Oon Jin Teik, sprinter C. Kunalan and sailor Koh Seng Leong. It was hoped that by hosting the YOG, there would be a lasting sports, cultural and educational legacy for Singapore and youths from all over the world, as well as the opportunity to enhance and elevate the sporting culture locally and regionally.

Some of the logistical challenges that confronted the committee included:

Catering 700,000 meals which amounted approximately to 800 tonnes of food over the duration of the Games,

Ensuring that there were enough tennis balls available for use in tennis competitions - an estimated 4,200 balls,

Providing for the equestrian competitions, a stable of 38 horses, a Games requirement and ensuring that all the horses had to be of similar standards to ensure a level playing field. Australian thoroughbreds, trained in Brisbane, were chosen for the Singapore YOG as they were generally lighter and more suited to Singapore’s tropical climate.