ABOUT 2,000 students were treated to a preview of the inaugural Asian Youth Games opening ceremony on Saturday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
FAIRMONT Singapore continues its rich tradition of supporting local sporting events, after being appointed the official hotel partner for the first Youth Olympic Games.
The sponsorship in kind will see the vast majority of the hotel's 769 rooms set aside from August 14-26 next year for government officials, members of the Olympic family and international sports federations, and foreign media.
Three mass displays were put up by performers from schools such as Gongshang Primary School, Crescent Girls' School and National Junior College.
Titled 'Garden in the City', 'Asia's Zest', and 'Spirit of Evolution', the performances were an explosion of colour, sound and movement, and showcased the creativity and vibrancy of youth.
The guest of honour was Education Minister Ng Eng Hen.
He wrote in his welcome message: 'Aptly reflected by the specially written theme song, 'Asia's Youth, Our Future', it (the opening ceremony) is an occasion to show that 'together and united, Asia can strive to be what we want to be, and achieve our dreams''.
The AYG will see over 1,400 athletes from 43 countries compete across nine sports.
About 1,400 performers are involved in Monday's opening ceremony, where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be the guest of honour.
