Singapore to host inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 2010

First part of your question - a resounding YES!
Second part, I don't know but I guess it is unlikely in the sense that you have to qualify beforehand before appearing in person at the YOG.

 

How S'pore beat Moscow

The Straits Times
March 19, 2008

By Marc Lim
Sports Correspondent
In Lausanne (Switzerland)

The enthusiasm Singaporeans showed in wanting to host the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympics and the success of the 2005 International Olympic Committee session in Singapore helped swing votes the Republic's way.

That is the view of IOC members Sergey Bubka and Robert Ctvrtlik, as IOC members voted 53-44 in favour of Singapore over Moscow last month.

The race to host the 2010 Games had gone down to the wire, with very little separating the two cities.

But former pole-vault great Bubka, who heads the IOC coordination commission for the Youth Olympics, told The Straits Times that it was the noise Singaporeans made that attracted the attention of the IOC members.

"The enthusiasm and passion showed by the people of Singapore was one of the main reasons for Singapore's success," said Bubka, referring to the bid campaign.

It saw Singaporeans from all walks of life getting hehind the bid. From students blogging and posting messages online to more than 550 companies coming out to back the initiative.

"We were already happy with the Games concept. There were some doubts over whether the Athletes' Village at the University Town could be completed in time.

"But we received comprehensive information from our technical expert that it would not be a problem.

"Awarding the Games to Singapore also signified a new chapter in the Olympic movement. Singapore is a small country, and is unlikely to host an Olympic Games.

"The Youth Olympics has changed that and allowed smaller countries to be strongly involved."

American Ctvrtlik, who won the volleyball goild in 1988, echoed Bubka's views.

He said: "The Youth Olympics is a vital IOC initiative. It aims at spreading the Olympic movement to people at a younger age, to get kids aware of Olympic values.

"So it is important that the first host of the Games does a good job.

"For the IOC to award Singapore the very first Games shows the tremendous faith we have in the IOC member from Singapore, Ng Ser Miang, the Singapore National Olympic Council and the people and Govenment of Singapore."

Then, pointing to his bag, which he had kept from the 2005 IOC session in Singapore, Ctvrtlik added:

"Most of us still remember 2005. Not just for a nice bag, but we all recall how clean the city was, how disciplined and warm the people were.


"We're a tight group in the IOC. The members talk often among ourselves and, while the analysis of the various bids by the IOC was importan, we also discussed other aspects.

"The general feeling among members was that, given the importance of hosting the first Games, Singapore would do an excellent job.

"The fact that Singapore has a team here in Lausanne just a month after winning the bid to host the Games shows how committed it is.

"With just over two years to go the schedule is ambitious.

"You will be working under some very tight deadlines. But we are confident you can do it."

 

Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Report

Chronicle online
Monday, June 01, 2009

Olympic committee not happy with Games preparations

THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee is disappointed with the response from national associations in their drive to identify talent for next year's Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore.

According to Anna Mguni of ZOC, national associations were communicated with on 27 February this year. They were asked to submit names of athletes who fall within the right age-group so that their performances between now and the Games will be monitored. ZOC also intends investing in their preparation and sports education.

"We are very disappointed with the response we have received from national associations. We communicated with them on 27 February and unfortunately the response has been bad.

"It might appear there is still time between now and August 2010, but there is none. Associations have to move in quickly so that we know where we stand and see what can be done for the athletes to qualify for the Games.
"There is a qualification criteria even though each national Olympic association is entitled to at least four athletes to attend the Games," said Mguni.

She said the idea about the Youth Olympics was to inculcate values of life like fair play, leaving drug-free lives. At the same time she said future Olympic champions would be discovered at an early age.

For Zimbabwe, she said this presented the country with a platform to identify London 2012 Olympics prospective athletes.

"For us we are taking these competitions seriously. They give us an opportunity to identify athletes for the Olympics. There are no age restrictions at the Olympics, if we identify an athlete who is good enough for London 2012, then we would have done well," said the former Dominican Convent teacher.

Last week ZOC paid US$2000 for the use of the National University of Science and Technology track and field championships for secondary schools. Mguni was deployed to have a look at the talent at the country's disposal.
She said she was among a number of officials from ZOC who are monitoring a number of associations' events with a view to identifying talent.

"I am impressed with what I have seen here today. There is so much talent that needs to be tapped. ZOC paid for NASH to use this facility and we are using the competition to come up with a long list since these are the national secondary school games with the country's top talent on show," said Mguni at NUST on Friday.

She said ZOC had attended the Harare Province finals and the Zone Six basketball championships in Harare.

Participants to next year's Youth Olympics ought to have been born between 1 January 1995 and January 1992.

Twenty six sporting disciplines have been listed for the inaugural Games. These are aquatics (swimming and diving), athletics, badminton, basketball (three versus three, boxing, cycling, equestrian (jumping), football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, canoe (kayak) modern pentathlon, archery and fencing.

Mguni said international federations had come up with a qualifying system that is fair and transparent.

The qualification period is 1 March, 2009 and 31 May 2010.

Athletics and swimming remain Zimbabwe's hopes of a big medal haul while in boxing the likes of Ntando Sibanda, Meluleki Ngulube and Foster Masiyambumbi could at last realise a dream of representing their country after years of toiling in the ring in the junior ranks.

Sadly for Zimbabwe some of the disciplines are virtually dead. Badminton, fencing, canoe, modern pentathlon, archery and diving are not very active anymore.

There is a fine crop of showjumping enthusiasts in Bulawayo and they could find themselves flying to Singapore as part of the Zimbabwe team next year.

Mguni said the assembling of teams will be the responsibility of ZOC and national associations need not worry about the expense of identifying, grooming and sending the team to Singapore.

The International Olympic Committee has come up with these Games 'to bring together the world's best young athletes and celebrate them, to offer a unique and powerful introduction to Olympism, to innovate in educating and debating Olympic values, to share and celebrate the cultures of the world in a festive atmosphere, to reach youth communities throughout the world to promote Olympic values and to raise awareness and participation among young people."