Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development. Youth and Sports, Team Singapore officials and athletes, Friends from the media, Ladies and gentlemen, Good evening
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Today we present the national flag to Team Singapore to the inaugural Asian Youth Games (AYG) 2009. |
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Singapore has the honour of being the host country of the very first Asian Youth Games. As the host, we have been given the privilege of fielding a bigger contingent than we would do if the games were held elsewhere. Our team will be made up of 48 officials and 90 athletes, who will feature in all 9 sports in the AYG, beginning from 29 June to 7 July 2009. (The football competition will commence on 20 June.) |
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The SNOC Selection Committee has decided to give as many of your young deserving athletes as possible the opportunity to compete in the AYG. The AYG can be considered the “entry-level” games for young athletes competing in the SNOC sanctioned major Games. |
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For the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games which are competed at the open level at a very much higher standard of competition SNOC adheres strictly to high selection criteria. |
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Previously the entry-level Games for our young athletes was the South East Asian Games (SEA Games).
Qualifying for the SEA Games for our young athletes is not easy as the third placing marks which SNOC uses for qualification are often set by senior athletes at the games. For the AYG the qualifying marks are set by the age-group peers of our young athletes and are more representative of the competitive level that our young athletes should reach.
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Athletes who perform well at this AYG will be able to gauge their performance and prepare for the more challenging Youth Olympic Games (YOG) next year.
For the YOG, athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees will vie for places based on world-standard qualifying marks, so our athletes will have to really train hard to meet these marks.
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The AYG will also serve as a useful and timely test of our National Sports Associations’ talent identification and youth development programs. |
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Not many sports have age-group competitions at the continental level, a few have them at the regional level, whilst many do not have age-group competitions at all. Hence, thus far, our young athletes compete in a wide range of competitions, at a range of competitive levels, sometimes against their age-group peers at other times against senior athletes.
AYG bowlers Christopher Hwang and Justin Lim participated at the Indonesian Open Under-18 and Hong Kong Open Under-18 competitions respectively;
sailors Chuan Jun Ler and Audrey Yong at the Pattaya Cup and Thailand Windsurfing Championship respectively;
shooter Jodie Tan at the South East Asia Shooting Association Shooting Championship, Hanoi;
and swimmers Roanne Ho, Rainer Ng and Shana Lim at the Pune Commonwealth Youth Games.
Two from our AYG team Quah Ting Wen and Lynette Lim made it to the top and competed at the Beijing Olympic Games.
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The AYG will therefore be a timely and significant opportunity for our young athletes who will now be benchmarked against their peers from the 44 other Asian countries on one big common platform. |
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While winning medals is every athlete’s aspiration, I would be happy if every athlete performed to their best even if he or she were to finish without a medal.
This is your first exposure to a major competition so aim for a personal best.
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Win with humility, and if you lose be gracious even in defeat.
Remember, how you conduct yourself off the field is just as important as how you conduct yourself on the field.
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Learn from the top athletes whom you will meet in the Athletes’ Village and in the competition.
Learn from what you see around you, and from the valuable experiences you will get from such a Games.
Find your weaknesses, and work on them until they become your strengths.
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Above all, be resilient in your attitude.
A great achievement is usually the result of a great attitude. Take all these in, and you should be better prepared for the next major game.
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As young athletes, you have a long way to go in your sporting career.
Make this step into your first major competition a good one.
I wish all of you a valuable experience at the AYG.
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I would also wish to take a moment here to thank the sponsors supporting our team at the AYG.
- The Singapore Totalisator Board – for sponsoring the team to the Games.
- Sunrise & Co. – for the official Yonex team outfit.
And last but not least, Raffles Institution (Secondary) for graciously extending a helping hand to host this Flag Presentation event.
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I ask you all to join me in wishing the Chef de Mission Mr Lee Wung Yew and the Team the very best in the Asian Youth Games 2009. |
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Thank you. |
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