(20 June 2009 9:45 pm)

MUMBAI: The soon-to-be developed online virtual world platform “Virtual World for Education and Youth Engagement”, will help to promote friendship and connect youths from the 205 National Olympic Committees ahead of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Through this three-dimensional virtual world, youth around the world will be able to learn more about sport, culture and the Olympic values. Youth athletes coming for the Games will also be able to find out more about Singapore and Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. They can interact with one another through the games and interactive sports activities found in the virtual world.

Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee CEO Goh Kee Nguan says, “We are excited to bring Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games to an international audience through the virtual world. People from around the world, especially youth, can know more about the Games, cross physical boundaries, form virtual communities and interact with one another anytime and anywhere.” The virtual world will go live early next year.

A national initiative by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the application of the virtual world can be extended to education, entertainment and e-
Government after the Games. The virtual world is a key IDA initiative to establish Singapore’s leadership in embracing advanced digital media technology as it gains popularity and pervasiveness among consumers and enterprises.

IDA CEO Ronnie Tay says, “The virtual world will demonstrate how infocomm technology can be harnessed for education and engagement of youths, including those from different countries. The youths of today spend a fair amount of time online and are very infocomm-savvy. A virtual world would certainly be an appropriate platform to engage them.”

Singapore will be hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) from 14 to 26 August 2010. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will receive some 3,600 athletes and 800 officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with estimated 800 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 500,000 spectators. Young athletes - aged between 14 and 18 years - will compete in 26 sports and take part in Culture and Education Programme.

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aims to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. It will create a lasting sports, culture and education legacy for Singapore and youths from around the world, as well as enhance and elevate the sporting culture locally and regionally.