YOG torch arrives in Berlin
SINGAPORE: The Youth Olympic Flame has arrived in Berlin,
Germany on the first stop of its journey that will span five
continents as a prelude to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic
Games.
The torch arrived in the German capital a day after it was
lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
It made a brief visit at Siemensstadt, a famous sports
club in Berlin built in 1984. Over 650,000 people visit the
Siemensstadt sports club a year, and when the Flame made its stop,
it was greeted by youth engaging in basketball, tennis and
volleyball.
The torch then made its way by boat on the Spree River,
through the Haus der Kulturen der Welt - one of the leading
European centres of contemporary art and culture - and towards
Pariser Platz, where the famous Brandenburg Gate is located, for a
city celebration.
On stage, two German athletes bound for the upcoming Youth
Olympic Games in Singapore, together with Ronny Ziesmer, the former
German gymnast, ignited the celebration cauldron using the
Flame.
Other athletes present at the celebration included Dirk
Nowitzki – flag bearer of German Olympic team in Beijing 2008, and
Andre Lange – flag bearer of German Olympic team in Vancouver
2010.
"I am thrilled to see the level of enthusiasm for sports displayed
by youths here in Berlin as well as Germany. This is especially
true of the 70 German youth athletes present here today who will be
competing at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games next month,"
said Mr Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games
Organising Committee and Vice-President of the International
Olympic Committee.
"Their dedication to their chosen sport shows that they embrace the
Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect in their daily
lives."
To bring a slice of Singapore life, culture and tradition to
Berlin, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee
(SYOGOC) has partnered Singapore's Ministry of Information,
Communication and the Arts (MICA) to present a Singapore Showcase
at the city celebration.
The Singapore Showcase comprised four segments. The dance segment
by "The Roses" saw a group of four spunky girls take to the stage
with an energetic performance of hip-hop dance.
The music segment featured singer Erick Guansing performing the
much-loved Singapore song Bunga Sayang (which means "Flowers of
Love" in Malay).
The sport segment featured the "Urban Street Team", Singapore's own
"Football Freestylers" who displayed some nifty footwork combining
dance and football.
To heighten the festive mood, the Singapore Showcase also featured
a fourth segment - a music, dance and sporty extravaganza with
singers Erick Guansing and Gayle Marilyn Nerva performing the
catchy favourite, "Celebration" alongside pop-inspired moves by
young male dancers and the spunky dance quartet, "The Roses" and
the football juggling antics of "Urban Street Team".
After Berlin, the Youth Olympic Flame will travel to Dakar in
Senegal (representing Africa), Mexico City in Mexico (representing
the Americas), Auckland in New Zealand (representing Oceania) and
Seoul in South Korea (representing Asia).
The Flame will arrive in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional
six-day torch relay around the island.
The Youth Olympic Games will kick off in Singapore on August 14.
Some 3,600 athletes, aged between 14 and 18, from more than 200
nations are taking part.
Altogether there will be 26 different sports categories.
- CNA/ir