IMAGINE the adrenaline rush of witnessing a new track and fieldworld record being set at a heartland sports complex near your flat.
Or cheering an Olympic football final in Bishan and watching goals scored by teenagers who might be the next Ronaldo or Beckham.
Perhaps, you and your family might even play host to one of the 3,500 world-class athletes for a few nights.
Any of these dreams might become a reality if Singapore wins the bid to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games to be held in 2010.
The programme promises a unique experience not just for young athletes visiting from around the world but for Singaporeans as well.
If the Games are staged here — from Aug 14 to 26 — residents will see many of the 26 sports enter the heartlands, with venues such as the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex and Bishan Stadium getting a makeover.
Among the highlights will be the opening and closing ceremonies, to be held at the floating platform in Marina Bay.
The waters around it will see canoeing, rowing and sailing events, while the international media will file their coverage of the events from the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, to be ready by 2009.
Another uniquely Singapore aspect to the Youth Olympics bid is that unlike the Summer Games where an athlete typically heads home after his event, Singapore plans to house every competitor at the Youth Olympic Village — the National University of Singapore's $500-million student town being built at the former Warren Golf Course — for the entire 12-day duration of the Games.
This, said Permanent Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Niam Chiang Meng yesterday, would allow the visiting youth to take part in various education and culture programmes.
For instance, day trips could be organised to the Newater plant in Changi and offshore islands like Pulau Semakau and Pulau Ubin. The youth will also attend classes on racial and religious harmony and learn about the dangers of doping and over-training.
And even before the Games begin, each of the 150 secondary schools in Singapore will be twinned with the National Olympic Committees from one or two countries — so youth of the countries can interact through websites and friendly sporting competitions.
Six scholarships for young athletes — one each from Singapore and the five continents — will be awarded to pursue a course at the Singapore Sports School.
The estimated budget for all this: US$75 million ($110 million), more than double the US$30 million estimate by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.
To control costs, the IOC had said there should be no new infrastructure built for the Games. Existing facilities should be used, with retrofitting done where needed.
At a press conference yesterday, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan explained that every dollar would be carefully spent, and Singaporeans would benefit long after the Youth Olympics is over.
"I can give the assurance that there will be no wastage — we are not building any white elephants. All the investments we plan will end up being used by the community, the weekend warriors and so on. What 2010 gives us is a specific timeframe to synchronise all our upgrading work," he said.
About $10 million has been set aside for security costs. Safety is a crucial aspect of the Singapore bid as the athletes will be aged between 14 and 18 years old, said Dr Balakrishnan.
Finally, whether or not Singapore wins the bid — the IOC will announce the winner next February — all secondary schools here will implement a programme that teaches students about the Olympic values of respect, friendship and excellence.
With less than three weeks before the IOC announces its shortlist of candidate cities, Dr Balakrishnan urged Singaporeans to show their support for the bid.
"I hope they can see that these values reflect who they are and what Singapore stands for. The Youth Olympics is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase what we're all about to the world," he said.
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