After the tremendous support from Singaporeans during the bidding, Teo, the president of the Singapore National Olympic Council, again called upon the people to make the Games a success.

SUPPORT from youth, businesses and the man in the street helped Singapore clinch the rights to host the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

Yesterday, Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also president of the Singapore National Olympic Council, again called upon the people to make the Games a success.

‘I hope that we’d see many people from the private sector coming in to support in whatever way they can.

‘Sponsorship is one of them, being able to contribute their expertise is another,’ said Mr Teo after opening a conference for civil servants.

Last week, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) chairman Ng Ser Miang said that the largest of five new sub-committees would focus on business and marketing.

This sub-committee will be tasked with attracting sponsorship from both international and local partners.

Mr Teo added that preparing for the Games in such a short span of time ‘will require working together across the whole of Singapore, including the people sector’.

‘Of course, there’ll be a lot of inter-ministerial work,’ he added. ‘We welcome them (civil societies) to participate constructively in YOG.’

Key members of the SYOGOC, including Ng, have been in Beijing since Monday to brief the General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees on the concept and the progress of the Games.

The assembly ends today.

Source: Straits Times Interactive, 10 Apr 2008.

Parties interested in supporting the Singapore Youth Olympic Games 2010 are kindly advised to visit http://www.singapore2010.sg for more information.