The inaugural Youth Olympic Games officially opened on Saturday in a spectacular blaze of colours.
“Tonight we open a new chapter in the history of the Olympic movement,” International Olympic Committee president Rogge told. “From this moment on, young people around the world have a chance to participate in a global forum that combines sport, education and culture.”
Some 3,600 athletes from 205 countries will take part in the 26 events that make up the traditional Olympics, with a simultaneous cultural and education programme running to teach them about Olympic values and global issues. Some of the sports have been adapted, with new formats like street basketball and triathlon with mixed gender teams. There will even be competitions with mixed teams from different nationalities.
The opening ceremony of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore was closed, as it happens in the Olympic Games, with members of the Greek delegation. This is a tradition which represents the fact that Greece was the country where the Olympic games were born.
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