The Asian Youth Games (AYG) is an international multi-sports event held every four years to complement the existing Asian Games. The idea was first mooted as part of Singapore’s Youth Olympic Games bid in 2007. On 3 April 2008, the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) Executive Board unanimously agreed to award the hosting of the first AYG to Singapore. This decision was backed by all 45 members of the OCA on 6 April 2008.

The inaugural AYG, which will be co-organised by the Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Education aims to gather the youth from around Asia in a celebration of youth, sports and learning where they will engage in friendly competition and imbibe the Olympic sporting values of excellence, friendship and respect. AYG Singapore 2009 will see athletes aged between 14 and 17 from 45 OCA member nations competing in 90 events across nine sports from 29 June to 7 July 2009.

The official mascot and theme song for the first Asian Youth Games Singapore was officially unveiled on 19 March by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports & Ministry of Transport at a ceremony witnessed by hundreds of Singaporeans at Velocity.

AYG 2009 Theme Song Entitled ‘Asia’s Youth, Our Future’, the AYG theme song carries the message of hope, friendship and comity. Composed by well-known musician Iskandar Ismail and written jointly by Mr Jose Raymond and Mr Hoo Cher Liek, staff officers from the AYG co-organisers, the Singapore Sports Council and the Ministry of Education, the theme song will be sung by youth singers, Nathan Hartono and Lian Kim Selby.