International media were given a rare opportunity in Beijing last week to get an insight into the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, widely seen as the brainchild of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge.
The pioneering Summer Games, which are intended to integrate cultural and educational activities with 26 Olympic sports events, will be held in August 2010, in Singapore. Around 3,200 youths, aged 14 to 18, are expected to take part.
"This is not my baby. This is our baby," Rogge told representatives from 205 NOCs attending a general assembly in the Chinese capital last week.
"We have conceived it together and we will raise it together. It will be an adult thanks to our efforts."
IOC executive director Gilbert Felli added that plans were also being made to include young officials, young referees and young journalists in the Singapore Games.
"Best achievers" will be registered instead of world records, he said. The IOC has emphasized the focus of the Youth Olympics will be on "achievement and excellence", not just competition.
"The vision of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sports and adopt and live by Olympic values," Felli said.
"The IOC decided to create a new sporting event to educate, engage and influence young athletes, inspiring them to play an active role in their communities."
Games organizers in Singapore said there will also be a torch relay, but it is not decided yet whether the relay for the Youth Olympics will be global, regional, or local.
The IOC decided at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City, July 2007, to create a youth version of the Olympic Games. On Feb 15, Singapore narrowly beat previous Olympic hosts like Athens, Moscow and Turin for the right to host the Games.
Olympic champion and world record holder in the pole vault, Ukraine's Sergey Bubka, was chosen to chair the coordination commission for the first Summer Youth Olympics.
The host of the first Winter Games in four years' time will be decided in December.
Other Olympic events for youth like the European Youth Olympic Festival, held every other year, with summer and winter versions, and the Australian Youth Olympic Festival, have proven successful.
