When I first returned from the US and heard about the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) all around me, I thought “the whaaaat?” What’s all this hoopla over something I’ve never heard of before (cos it’s the first)? I don’t know any of the sportsmen/women, and Singapore seemed to be about the only one making a lot of fuss because we won the bid to host it.
Then I’ve read all the criticisms on the organization aspect of it – food for volunteers, tickets, etc. I suppose it wasn’t perfect and some things can be done better.
But since the games started I have been transfixed watching the live telecast on TV every day. And tonight, I am waiting impatiently for the football game between the Singapore Cubs and Haiti. On Monday morning, I am likely to attend my first YOG live games (athletics). I can’t wait!
For all the problems that have surfaced, it seems like the SYOGOC has done a great job in putting things together. Of course a large part of the success of organizing the events rest on the shoulders of volunteers too, and even though I do not know any of them personally I hear they have been doing a great job.
For me, as a viewer, I am just glad that we hosted the games. Yes it cost a lot but the more than $300 million spent on YOG is nowhere compared to the $10 billion countries spend on organizing the Summer Olympic Games, which we will never stand a chance to host. Midway into the YOG, it seems things have picked up, there is a lot of interest generated and Jacques Rogge seems pleased with how things go. Going by what the athletes say in the press they too are impressed with Singapore, and Singaporeans who have treated them well.
What’s best I think is seeing all these young athletes of whom I have never heard of before, becoming almost household names because of all the coverage given here. These are young world champions in the making and I am sure we will hear of some or many of their names in bigger world competitions in years to come. For the Singapore athletes this seems like a wonderful platform to compete with others, do their best, get exposed to not just the competition but other aspects of being an athlete – like handling press interviews and being on TV, and so on.
To all the volunteers, thank you for all the hard work you’ve done to make this a success.
And to the athletes, especially Singapore’s – jia you! 
Postscript: 24/08/2010: Well done Isabelle! It was such an exhilarating match (table tennis) I almost fell off the stepper machine twice while watching it on TV! The mixed matches are also very very exciting.
Khartini is the C, M and I in CMIO. She is 1/4 Chinese, 1/2 Malay and 1/4 Indian. She is bad at Math but managed to figure these portions out with a family genealogy and calculator. Some people call her multiracial, but she prefers to be known as rojak.
She was a print journalist and an educator, and has dabbled in broadcast journalism, mountain climbing and wakeboarding (albeit in a sitting position). She has also been a clown for a day, no kidding.
She is in her 30’s and volunteers actively, including at weekly Meet-the-People Sessions.
She speaks and writes fluent English and Malay, knows pasar Mandarin and can speak some French to save her life. She recently completed her Masters in International Relations degree in the United States under a Fulbright Scholarship & a Tan Kah Kee Postgraduate Scholarship.
She loves books, and books love her.