Singapore, 14 August 2009 – As Singapore gears up to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) 365 days away, a naming exercise for the first YOG mascots starts today to commemorate the occasion.
In the lead up to the mascot launch, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) is inviting the public to join in the excitement by taking part in naming the very first YOG mascots. Participants can submit their ideas at www.singapore2010.sg/whoisthis.
Mr Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer of SYOGOC shared, “As the ambassadors and the faces of the Games, the mascots will welcome the world to Singapore in August 2010. They will help to tell the unique story of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the host city Singapore and the ideals of the Olympic Movement. Most of all, they will bring to life the spirit of the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.
“We are looking for unique names which reflect youthfulness, are relevant to the mascot characters and easy to pronounce.”
The naming exercise will run for three weeks from Friday, 14 August 2009 and will close on Sunday, 6 September 2009. The mascots and their names will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2009. More details on the description of the mascots can be found in Annex A and the naming exercise details are given in Annex B.
Annex A – Description of the Singapore 2010 Mascots
To facilitate the conceptualising of names, here’s a description of the Singapore 2010 mascots to give you an idea of their personalities.
Lion Mascot
Our first mascot is a lion cub with a mane as fiery as his passion for life. A boundless bundle of energy, he is always on the go, learning new things and playing sports. His favourite sport is football and he dreams of someday winning an Olympic gold medal with the Young Lions – Singapore’s youth football team.
Having lived in a concrete jungle all his life, the lion mascot is no stranger to people. He loves making friends from all over the world and learning about their different cultures. The lion mascot also enjoys playing, and wants to inspire youth to keep fit and enjoy sports for life. The lion mascot truly has a lion’s heart.
Quick Facts
Star Sign: Leo
Dream: To win an Olympic gold medal with the Young Lions
Personal Motto: “Never say never”
Favourite Food: Chilli Crabs/Chicken Rice with lots of chilli!
Hobbies: Jamming on his rock guitar, learning new things and playing sports, especially football
Symbolism
Legend has it that a prince spotted a lion on an island a long, long time ago. He decided to call that island ‘Singapura’, which means ‘Lion City’. Today, that island is known as ‘Singapore’ and the lion has become synonymous with Singapore’s national identity.
Merlion Mascot
Our second mascot is a merlion cub who loves exploring the waters around and beyond Singapore. Although merlions are omnivorous by nature, she sticks to a vegetarian diet out of a deep respect for all living things.
The merlion mascot is friendly and a great listener – when she makes a friend, she is a friend for life! Always ready to lend her support to worthy causes, she is especially passionate about environmental issues as many of her friends have fallen ill from pollution. The merlion mascot believes that everyone has a part to play in working towards a sustainable future and is determined to spread the message one person at a time. Her dream is to become an environmental scientist one day, so that she can find more ways to protect Mother Nature.
Quick Facts
Star Sign: Aquarius
Dream: To become an environmental scientist.
Personal Motto: “You can achieve anything if you set your heart to it!”
Favourite Food: Ice Kachang (a Singaporean dessert of shaved ice drenched in colourful syrup)
Hobbies: Singing, swimming, and collecting seashells
Symbolism
The merlion is a mythical sea creature that is part lion and part fish. It is inspired by local folklore and Singapore’s fishing village origins.
Annex B – Details on Mascot Naming Exercise
TERMS & CONDITIONS
• Participation is open to all except staff from SYOGOC and its authorised agencies.
• SYOGOC’s decision on the mascots’ names is final.
• SYOGOC reserves the right to disclose to the public the contributors’ names, and photographs for publicity purposes without payment or compensation thereof. By participating in this naming exercise, the contributor gives SYOGOC and/or its advertising and promotion agencies permission to use his or her name, picture, image and voice for publicity purposes connected with this naming exercise without additional compensation.
• SYOGOC reserves the right to vary the terms and conditions herein at any time at
its absolute discretion without notice.
CLOSING DATE
• The naming exercise will start on Friday, 14 August 2009 and close at 00:00 +GMT 8 on Sunday, 6 September 2009.
About Singapore 2010
Singapore will be hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) from 14 to 26 August 2010. The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will receive some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), along with estimated 800 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and more than 500,000 spectators. Young athletes – aged between 14 and 18 years – will compete in 26 sports and take part in Culture and Education Programme.
The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games aims to inspire youth around the world to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. It will create a lasting sports, culture and education legacy for Singapore and youths from around the world, as well as enhance and elevate the sporting culture locally and regionally.
For more information, please visit www.singapore2010.sg
Issued by:
Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee
For media queries, please contact:
Lee Wai Leng
Senior Executive, Programmes
Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee
Email: LEE_Wai_Leng@singapore2010.sg
Tel: +65 6471 9365
Ng Kee Haur
Head, Programmes
Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee
Email: NG_Kee_Haur@singapore2010.sg
Tel: +65 6471 9735