The Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG), will take place between August 16th to 28th. 15 venues will be made available for the Nanjing YOG with three distinct themed zones: the Olympic Center Zone, where the sporting competitions will take place; the Cultural Scenic Spot Zone.
With all these facilities already in place, it will not be necessary to build new venues for the YOG. Most of these venues have held high-level domestic sports games like the 10th National Games. It’s a format that worked successfully at the first YOG in Singapore 2010, where Ireland’s first ever YOG medal was won by boxer Ryan Burnett (Gold). It introduced athletes such as Kate Veale, Mark English, hockey player Katie Mulligan , and boxer Joe Ward to the Olympic environment. New formats for hockey ( 5 – aside) will be introduced along with golf and rugby sevens making their debut.
The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event held every four years. The event will follow the existing Olympic format of staggered summer and winter games. The idea for such an event was introduced by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge in 2001. On July 5, 2007, IOC members at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City approved the creation of a youth version of the Olympic Games.
The YOG is a sporting event for young people, balancing sport, education and culture. These Games work as a catalyst in these fields throughout the Olympic Movement. Young athletes will participate in high-level sporting competitions while also engaging in a Culture and Education Programme (CEP) focused on the Olympic spirit and Olympic values, skill development, well-being and healthy lifestyle, social responsibility and expression through digital media.
The IOC is allowing the Summer Games to last twelve days with a maximum of 3,500 athletes and 1,500 officials. The YOG will feature athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 and encompass all 28 sports.
The host city is encouraged not to build any new major venues, with the exception of some temporary structures or possibly a Youth Olympic Village (YOV) providing at least 5000 beds.
The YOV must be constructed in an ideal location equally well-suited for competition, warm-up and training, as well as cultural and educational activities. The YOV square will be available to hold major cultural and educational programs. Meanwhile, the city should offer accommodation (two-star hotel to four-star hotel with at least 3000 beds) and transportation (buses etc.) for officials. The host city must establish the Main Media Centre (MMC), Cultural Centre and Marketing Development Department. The IOC must also make a contract with the host city declaring that the cost of the Games will be covered by the host city, while the IOC is responsible for the expenditures of the officials.
As well as a sports programme, the Youth Olympic Games incorporates a Cultural and Education Programme. During the Youth Olympic period the host city must organize a wide variety of cultural and educational activities for young people, creating an interactive educational experience based on the Olympic values with the aim of teaching young people to say no to unhealthy lifestyles and allowing them to become well-rounded people with true sporting spirits.
These interactive programs will invite famous athletes and international specialists to guide the young people in how to solve relevant social issues. The cultural program will combine Olympic traditions (such as the torch relay) with diverse cultures to spread the Olympic spirit. During the Nanjing Games, the program will promote communication between the youth of the world, and make the Games a world festival through the use of new media.
The Purposes of YOG
1. To bring the world’s best young athletes together and celebrate.
2. To offer a unique and powerful introduction to Olympism.
3. To innovate in education, debating Olympic values and the challenges facing society.
4. To share and celebrate the cultures of the world in a festive atmosphere.
5. To reach out to youth communities throughout the world to promote Olympic values.
6. To raise sports awareness and participation among young people.
7. To act as a platform for initiatives within the Olympic Movement.
8. To be an event of the highest international sporting standard.
The Principles of YOG
The YOG aims to bring together talented young athletes – aged from 15 to 18 — from around the world to participate in high-level sporting competitions, but also to run educational programs about the Olympic values and the benefits of sport for a healthy lifestyle.
Sports
The 28 sports contested at the YOG are listed below:
* Aquatics (Diving and Swimming)
* Archery
* Athletics
* Badminton
* Basketball(33 Basketball)
* Boxing
* Canoe-Kayak(Racing)
* Cycling (BMX,MTB,ROAD)
* Equestrian (Jumping)
* Fencing
* Football
* Gymnastics(Artistic and Rhythmic)
* Handball
* Hockey
* Judo
* Modern pentathlon
* Rowing
* Sailing
* Shooting
* Table Tennis
* Taekwondo
* Tennis
* Triathlon
* Beach Volleyball
* Weightlifting
* Wrestling(Freestyle and Greco-Roman)
*Golf
*Rugby (Rugby Seven)
The First YOG
The first YOG was held in Singapore in 2010 and brought together approximately 3,600 athletes and1450 officials. The sports program comprised 26 sports in 12 days, with a limited number of disciplines and events. Each participating country sent an ambassador to participate in a CEP. The YOG featured athletes between the ages of 14 and 18. Participants of the YOG was grouped by age, for example, 15–16 years and 16–17 years.
Links: http://www.singapore2010.sg/
The first Winter YOG will be held in Innsbruck from the 13th to the 22nd of January, 2012.
Links: www.innsbruck2012.com/
In the early hours (Beijing time) of February 11th, 2010, Nanjing, China was selected by the IOC over Poznan, Poland to be the host-city of the 2014 Youth Olympics.
