Youth Olympic Games - Presentation Pack with a complete set of 2 stamps

Text found on Front Cover: Youth Olympic Games
Text found on Back Cover: Date of Issue: 25 June 2008, Denominations: 1st Local & $2.00, Stamp Size: 40.7mm X 29.85mm, Perforation: 13, Paper: Unwatermarked, Printing Process: Offset Lithography, Printer: Secura Singapore Pte Ltd, Sheet Content: 10, Designer: Tze Ngan. Singapore Philatelic Bureau.



Text found in Presentation Pack:
Celebrate Singapore's Winning bid for the Youth Olympic Games 2010

The Youth Olympic Games are planned to be an international multi-sport event held every four years in staggered summer and winter events complementing the current Olympic Games, and will feature athletes between 14 and 18 years of age.

The idea for such an event was envisioned in 2010 by International Olympic Council (IOC) president Jacques Rogge. On 6 July 2007, IOC members at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City approved the creation of a youth version of the Olympic Games.

Host of the 117th IOC Session, Singapore made its first formal bid to host this multi-disciplinary sporting event of this magnitude, which has been targeted to start in August 2008. Positive factors in its bid included its high connectivity with the world, its youthfulness as an independent country, and its reputation for excellence and multi-racial harmony.

On 21 February 2008, Singapore celebrated when the IOC announced its decision in Lausanne, Switzerland that the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010 would be held in Singapore. The announcement was broadcast "live" in front of an enthusiastic crowd gathered, mostly dressed in our nation's color of white and red, at the Padang for YOG 2010 The Final Countdown event to celebrate the city-state's participation in the YOG 2010 candidacy race.

"It is undoubtedly a historic moment for Singapore to be selected as Host City for the inaugural YOG in 2010. By choosing Singapore, the IOC has declared that it is possible for small young cities like Singapore to host the Olympic movement. The people of Singapore and all our friends overseas will celebrate..." said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minster of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

The announcement also concluded seven months of keen competition among eleven contending cities that started in July 2007 with the announcement of the YOG concept at the IOC Session in Guatemala City.

Singapore, along with Athens, Bangkok, Turin, and Moscow, were subsequently shortlisted in a reduced field of five cities on 19 November 2007. The list was further reduced to two - Singapore and Moscow - on 21 January 2008.

IOC members via a final postal voting round that closed on 15 February 2008 eventually chose Singapore over Moscow.

And the historical moment occurred in front of the crowd anxiously waiting at the Padang, followed by the wows of celebration on 21 February 2008.



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Description: Youth Olympic Games - Presentation Pack with a complete set of 2 stamps
Text found on stamp: Youth Olympic Games, $2, 1st Local, 2008, First Host City SINGAPORE.


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