First ever Summer Youth Olympic Games were inaugurated on this day in 2010

The first-ever Summer Youth Olympic Games were inaugurated this very day, i.e August 14, in 2010 in Singapore. An international multi-sport and cultural event for youths based on the tradition of the Olympic Games were held from August 14 to 26 almost a decade back. The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was also the first International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event held in Southeast Asia. 

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Organised under IOC, the Youth Olympic Games are an international high-level sporting event for adolescents, aged between 14-18-years-old. It is held every two years, alternating between the summer and winter seasons. The sporting and cultural event provides young people with the knowledge and skills to become role models for their peers and to play an active role in their communities. 

‘Spirit of Youth emblem’ 

While the YOG concept dates back to 1998, the formal plans for the event were only first announced at the 119th IOC session in 2007. In February 2008, Singapore was selected as the host city after defeating Moscow in a postal vote by 105 IOC members. The Youth Olympics village was located at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Game mascots Lyo and Merly, a lion and a female merlion, were selected by the officials. The IOC members believed that the mascot represented the ‘spirit of youth emblem’. 


(Image credits: @singatweets/Twitter) 

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According to UNICEF, the event, using a child-centred approach, offered participants a chance to engage in a variety of activities and games. The event focused on the rights of children and the conditions that are necessary for them to reach their full potential. 

At the first-ever YOG, 18 competition venues were used, Events took place ay 11 pre-existing venues, one new venue and six temporary venues, which were removed following the games. The Games featured around 3,600 athletes from 204 nations, who competed in 201 events in 26 sports. According to reports, the most successful nation was China, followed by Russia. 

One of the unique features of the event was that mixed-NOCs teams (comprising youths from different countries) and the Culture and Education Programmes (CEP) made their debut at the 2010 games. The torch relay which began a month before, comprised a 13-day world tour of five cities, each representing a continent, and a six-day domestic leg. 

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