"The Saudi team will be led by Prince Nawaf Al-Saud, president of the Saudi Amateur Athletics Federation," Mark Seah, first secretary at the mission, told Arab News Wednesday. He added that the mission has already issued about 12 entry visas to the Saudi participants and the mission is expecting many more applicants including the support staff of the Saudi athletics team. Seah said that most of the Saudi athletes have registered for swimming and the rest will be participating in track and field events.

Speaking about the event, Seah said that this is the first new Olympics since the introduction of the Winter Olympics in 1924.

Singapore plays host to some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with estimated 1,200 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 320,000 spectators. Young athletes — aged between 14 and 18 years — are seeing action in 26 sports and take part in a Culture and Education Program.

The diplomat said  Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aims to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. It will create a lasting sports, culture and education legacy for Singapore and youths from around the world, as well as enhance and elevate the sporting culture locally and regionally.

The Youth Olympic Games is   a brainchild of  International Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge who saw the opportunity to develop an international event coupling sport with culture and education that could act as a catalyst to engage young people around the world. YOG was created on July 5, 2007 when the IOC Executive Board approved the Games at its  119 session in Guatemala City.

He said Singapore was chosen host for the maiden event  among the nine cities that  bid for the hosting of the first YOG. The event follows the traditional Olympic Games cycle of four years. It is a chance to take part in an international sporting event specially created for them.

Seah said that there will be  2,400 torchbearers who will take part in the  event. "Aged 11 to 82, the majority of the torchbearers come from many sectors of Singapore society — from students and national servicemen to entertainers, social activists and people from the business community. Athletes both experienced and youthful also have a strong presence, many of whom are from Singapore’s Youth Olympic Games contingent.

After a three month-long, island-wide search for torchbearers who embody the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect, including an open call for public applications, he said  more than 500 organizations have taken part in the torchbearer nomination exercise and chosen their representatives to run in the Singapore leg of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame.

Also running in the relay are torchbearers from 39 different countries, reflecting Singapore's cosmopolitan city and the high level of international participation in the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Seah concluded.

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