host posted on August 01, 2009 09:39
From left to right: Mr Ng Ser Miang, Mr Timothy Fok, Quah Ting Wen, Chang Cyucheol
Photo courtesy: of SAYGOC
The Asian Youth Games closing ceremony concluded what had been an amazing nine days of sporting action. Held in a cosy setting at the Games Village in Swissotel the Stamford, the athletes were seen mingling freely and taking photos with their fellow AYG athletes, as the fun-filled programme for the evening unfolded.
The audience, including athletes and the Games workforce, re-lived memorable moments when they were treated to an exclusive video re-cap of the AYG. The guests had heaps of fun participating in the light-hearted games led by the witty emcee, The Flying Dutchman. Students from schools such as Tanjong Katong Girls’ staged enchanting performances to captivate the audience. To thunderous applause, two outstanding young athletes - Chang Gyucheol from the Republic of Korea and Quah Ting Wen from Singapore - were named AYG’s Most Valuable Player in the Boys’ and Girls’ categories.
The climax of the night, however, had to be the amazing percussion performance put together by the athletes themselves. The band was formed by athletes representing each of the participating National Olympic Committees. It was heart-warming to see athletes from different nations banding together in a symbolic gesture of unity to drum up a rousing performance. They might not be professional percussionists but to the audience who were cheering them on wildly, it was a world-class performance of international camaraderie.
To these young athletes, the Games was not just about competing and winning. As Quah Ting Wen so aptly put it, “It is about the time spent with my teammates, making new friends and learning all about the other countries.”
And so.... three cheers for Asia’s Youth, Our Future!