THE financial crisis has affected sports all over the world, but there remains keen interest from companies to be associated as sponsors of the Youth Olympics in 2010.

Giving an update on preparations for the inaugural event, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee chairman Ng Ser Miang said on Friday

that deals were being negotiated and he expected some to be finalised within one to two months.

Declining to reveal which these firms were, Mr Ng would say only that they included both home-grown and international firms.

Mr Ng was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Singapore Art Museum, where Singapore National Olympic Council president Teo Chee Hean received a Mercedez-Benz mini-van on behalf of the SNOC.

The mini-van is part of Daimler South-east Asia's Olympic Solidarity program, and will be used to transport young local athletes.