cool image: Introducing the 1st Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG)

From http://www.singapore2010odyssey.sg/news/n214610435.shtml

Introducing Lyo and Merly - Mascots for the first Youth Olympic Games

PHOTO: http://images.singapore2010odyssey.sg/20091130/Img214610443.jpg

With just 266 days to go before Singapore hosts the world's first Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Lyo (pronounced as Leo) and Merly are ready to blaze the trail. The official mascots for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (Singapore 2010) were unveiled by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports today.

As mascots for Singapore 2010, Lyo, a lion cub, embodies the values of Excellence and Friendship, while Merly, a merlion, personifies the values of Excellence and Respect. Through their acts and stories, they will promote the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.

PHOTO: http://www.todayonline.com/Gallery/Today/Photo/163319

Lyo is short for "Lion of the Youth Olympics". A sports lover, he is fun-loving and hopes to inspire young people to keep fit and enjoy sports for life. He symbolises youths' boundless energy, their determination to live life to the fullest and zeal to strive for Excellence.

Merly got her name from "mer" (meaning the sea) and "l y" stand for liveliness and youthfulness. A passionate advocate of environment protection, Merly believes that everyone has a role to play in working towards a sustainable future. She also wants to encourage young people to play an active role in their communities and promote respect for one another.

PHOTO: http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_mascot/en_mascot_home/en_mascots_downloads/MainPar/07/wfile1/LyoNMerly.jpg

More details at http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_mascot/en_mascot_home.html

From: http://www.singapore2010odyssey.sg/news/n214610435.shtml

Singapore YOG 2010 – Blazing the Trail

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 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with an estimated 1,200 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 a 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.

For more information, please visit
www.singapore2010.sg,
http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en.html
http://www.singapore2010odyssey.sg/news/n214610435.shtml

From http://whyohgee.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/light-the-way-for-the-youth-olympic-flame/
By Amanda Zhang

Light the way for the Youth Olympic Flame

Before the first Youth Olympic Games in August 2010, the Youth Olympic Flame will blaze the trail across the world to one city each on the continents of Europe, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and Asia.

The Flame will be lit in Greece before traveling to Berlin (Germany), Dakar (Senegal), Mexico City (Mexico), Auckland (New Zealand) and Seoul (Republic of Korea).

The Flame will arrive in Singapore for a six-day round-island torch relay before it lights the cauldron at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.