24 July 2010, Berlin, Germany – The Youth Olympic Flame arrived today in Berlin, Germany, on its mission to spread the spirit of Olympism to as many youth around the world as possible. This marked the first stop on the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame that will span five continents as a prelude to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
Upon its arrival from Ancient Olympia, Greece, where the first Youth Olympic Flame was lit the day before, the Flame made a brief visit at Siemensstadt, a famous sports club in Berlin built in 1984. Over 650,000 visitors visit the Siemensstadt sports club a year, and when the Flame made its stop, it was greeted by youth engaging in basketball, tennis and volleyball.
The Flame then made its way by boat on the Spree River, through the Haus der Kulturen der Welt - one of the leading European centres of contemporary art and culture - and towards Pariser Platz, where the famous Brandenburg Gate is located for the City Celebration held for the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame.
On stage, two German athletes bound for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, together with Ronny Ziesmer, the former German gymnast, ignited the Celebration Cauldron using the Flame. Other athletes present at the City Celebration included Dirk Nowitzki – Flag bearer of German Olympic Team in Beijing 2008, and André Lange – Flag bearer of German Olympic Team in Vancouver 2010.
"I am thrilled to see the level of enthusiasm for sports displayed by youths here in Berlin as well as Germany. This is especially true of the 70 German youth athletes present here today who will be competing at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games next month," said Mr Ser Miang NG, Chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee and Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee. "Their dedication to their chosen sport shows that they embrace the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect in their daily lives."
To bring a slice of Singapore life, culture and tradition to Berlin, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has partnered Singapore’s Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA) to present a Singapore Showcase at the City Celebration.
The Singapore Showcase comprised four segments. The dance segment by "The Roses" saw a group of four spunky girls take to the stage with an energetic performance of hip-hop dance. The music segment featured singer Erick Guansing performing the much-loved Singapore song Bunga Sayang (which means "Flowers of Love" in Malay). The showcase will not be complete without a sport segment. This segment featured the "Urban Street Team", Singapore’s own "Football Freestylers" who displayed some nifty footwork combining dance and football.
To heighten the festive mood at the City Celebration, the Singapore Showcase also featured a fourth segment - a music, dance and sporty extravaganza with singers Erick Guansing and Gayle Marilyn Nerva performing the catchy favourite, "Celebration" alongside pop-inspired moves by young male dancers and the spunky dance quartet, "The Roses" and the football juggling antics of "Urban Street Team".
The Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame is a 13-day journey to celebration cities, representing five continents around the world. The Flame then arrives in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional six-day torch relay around the island nation. The five cities are:
1. Berlin, Germany representing Europe
2. Dakar, Senegal representing Africa
3 Mexico City, Mexico representing the Americas
4. Auckland, New Zealand representing Oceania
5. Seoul, South Korea representing Asia
At each of the celebration cities, the Flame will journey to significant city landmarks and allow as many people as possible to welcome the Flame to the continent. The day will end off with a City Celebration, where the people of the city and continent can join in the festivities to celebrate the world’s first Youth Olympic Games.
The Flame’s journey will culminate in the torch being brought to the Float@Marina Bay in Singapore, the world’s largest floating stage on 14 August 2010 where it will ignite the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games cauldron as part of the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the Games. Once lit, the Flame will continue to burn brightly throughout the 12 days of the Games until the Closing Ceremony on 26 August 2010.
For more information contact: Harold Lim at harold_lim@singapore2010.sg
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