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SINGAPORE: Singapore started its countdown Friday to the 2010 Youth
Olympics, vowing to justify a decision by the International Olympic
Committee to hand the inaugural event to the tiny city-state.
Singapore beat Moscow by a vote of 53 to 44 late
Thursday, with newspapers calling it arguably the biggest day in the
country’s sporting history.
“It’s Singapore 2010,” the top-selling
Straits Times yelled on its front page. “An honor and a privilege
for everyone, now for the countdown to the main event.”
“The city-state is, by international
standards, already an Olympian city in finance, tourism, education,
bio-tech research and bold ideas,” it added in an editorial.
“Sports hosting will add to its standing.”
The tabloid Today newspaper opted for “A dream
come true” across its front page while the New Paper said: “The
new goal—2010.”
It will be the first time that Singapore has
hosted a multi-disciplinary sporting event of such a magnitude.
The brainchild of IOC chief Jacques Rogge, the
Youth Olympics will feature traditional sports such as athletics and
swimming, but also some innovative events such as beach-wrestling
and BMX bike-riding.
-- AFP
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