Every once in a while, Darren Choy googles "YOG opening ceremony" to relive one of the biggest moments of his sporting career. The goosebump-inducing moment of the sailor holding the Youth Olympic Flame, water rippling as he runs across the flooded stage to the cauldron, remains an iconic image of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) held here in 2010.

Choy does not own a copy of the photo, chuckling as he told The Sunday Times: "Sometimes I google it because it's a good memory to look back on.

"I was telling myself, 'Don't mess up' (during the run) and I remember the crowd being really loud. The photo was really cool and it was just really crazy… it was such a priceless moment."

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

From Johannesburg to Jurong, the YOG left an indelible mark on many of the young athletes and helped launch the careers of some, such as South African swimmer Chad le Clos and British taekwondo athlete Jade Jones, who went on to success at the Olympic Games.

For the city-state of Singapore, the YOG gave a small country an opportunity to write itself into Olympic history and stamp its mark on the international sporting stage.

But the challenges of conceptualising it from scratch in 21/2 years were daunting, particularly as Singapore had not hosted a major Games since the 1993 SEA Games.

Goh Kee Nguan, chief executive officer of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games organising committee (Syogoc), said it was challenging as nobody knew for sure what the inaugural event would be like.

Now CEO of Huttons Asia, he noted that while the International Olympic Committee provided guidance, "we also had to make sure that the sport competition aspect had to be at the highest possible level and combine this with a focus on sports culture and education, to inculcate the right values".

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE PARTY ENDED

The YOG was praised by then-IOC president Jacques Rogge and Singapore went on to host the 2015 SEA Games and other marquee sporting events such as the WTA Singapore Finals, HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens and International Champions Cup.

Those who were involved believe that it has left a lasting impact and legacy for Singapore.

Goh said: "There are a few things that we achieved that (remained) for the long term. One is that we were the first host nation, and so everybody will remember that.

"In terms of infrastructure, there is the Youth Olympic Park… for the sporting impact, we introduced quite a lot of sport innovation, like 3-on-3 basketball and mixed gender events, which will both be seen for the first time at the Tokyo Olympics."

IOC vice-president and Syogoc chairman Ng Ser Miang pointed to the annual Youth Olympic Festival and the Singapore Olympic Foundation-Peter Lim Scholarship started in 2010 to help local athletes in need of financial help achieve their sporting dreams.

He added: "I can think of many more individuals who were changed, or inspired and built on the YOG experience."

One of them was national shooter Martina Veloso, 20, who was 11 when she took part in the torch relay. She started shooting two years later and in 2014 won a silver in the girls' 10m air rifle at the Nanjing YOG.

"I was very determined, I wanted to compete in this event knowing Singapore was the first host country for this," she said in video marking the YOG's 10th anniversary.

GIVING NEW LIFE TO SPORT

Sports such as wrestling, handball and modern pentathlon were kick-started here for the YOG.

Gabriel Huang, operations manager at the Wrestling Federation of Singapore, said that the number of gyms and athletes has grown since the federation was set up in December 2008. The wrestlers also won medals at the 2009, 2011 and 2019 SEA Games and, at the Asian Championships last year, captain Lou Hong Yeow achieved Singapore's highest-ever Asian ranking when he finished seventh (freestyle wrestling, 70kg).

For diving, the YOG saw a revival of a sport that had been dormant for almost five years, said former Singapore Swimming Association sports manager Damien Ler. It started the diving programme in March 2009 with eight gymnasts who made the switch.

Last September, a decade of effort paid off when Jonathan Chan became the first Singaporean diver to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Ler said: "It wasn't a 10-year project where we targeted getting an athlete to the Olympics. What was important was that we set a path for the future."

THROWING IN THE TOWEL

Unlike international athletes such as le Clos, few among the Singaporean medallists at the YOG remain competitive today, with promising young talents such as Isabelle Li (table tennis), windsurfer Audrey Yong and the boys' football team throwing in the towel.

Those interviewed by ST cited academic studies, a lack of interest or support, and national service for deciding not to pursue their sport.

There are, however, others like SEA Games gold medallists Brandon Ooi (kayaking) and swimmer Amanda Lim, who kept going.

Yong, 25, said: "I wouldn't say it's wasted potential. The lessons we learnt going into those Games and competing under high pressure... I believe that it did change their lives in good ways."

Pointing to the natural attrition rate of youth athletes, Ng said that the YOG inspired others, with sailors Samantha Yom and Bernie Chin winning Singapore's first YOG golds in Nanjing four years later.

For SEA Games gold medallist Choy, who retired in 2015, his experience at the YOG can never be topped. "It was a milestone in my life even though I didn't get what I wanted to achieve in the competition," said the 26-year-old university student. "I had a positive experience which shaped me into what I am today."

• Additional reporting by Sazali Abdul Aziz, Nicole Chia