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MUMBAI:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that
Singapore will host the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in
2010.
Singapore
beat Moscow in the final round by 53 votes to 44.
The
105 IOC members entitled to vote had cast their votes by post
over the last few weeks. The sealed envelope with the name
of the winning city was delivered to the IOC president Jacques
Rogge during the announcement ceremony by the independent
and certified notary who oversaw the process to guarantee
confidentiality.
He
says, "“This is a key moment for the Olympic Movement.
Singapore has put together a very exciting project. Hosting
the Youth Olympic Games for the first time is a great responsibility,
and I have every confidence in the team in Singapore. I have
no doubt that their professionalism and enthusiasm will be
instrumental in the staging of successful Youth Olympic Games
in 2010.”
The
IOC says that the Youth Olympic Games are the flagship of
its determination to reach out to young people. These Games
will not only be about competition. They will also be the
platform through which youngsters will learn about the Olympic
values and the benefits of sport, and will share their experiences
with other communities around the globe. "We are looking
forward to joining in the celebration in Singapore in 2010,”
Rogge added.
Rogge
paid tribute to the other seven Candidate Cities which took
part in a candidature process that started in August 2007.
They were Athens (Greece), Bangkok (Thailand), Debrecen (Hungary),
Guatemala City (Guatemala), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Poznan
(Poland) and Turin (Italy).
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