Skip to main content

Minister insists H1N1 will not spoil AYG party

http://www.ocasia.org/OCA/images/Default/8/394/37/839437005088.jpg

Singapore's Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, brought the first leg of the Asian Youth Games Torch Relay to an end on Sunday afternoon -- and promised a safe and healthy environment in the shadow of the H1N1 virus.

"I am confident the Games will go on," Dr. Balakrishnan told the media after the torch relay ceremony.

"It will not be interrupted. We will not let H1N1 spoil our party."

Dr. Balakrishnan carried the flame, which had been lit earlier in the day at the Kallang Waterfront, into Raffles City Atrium. The flame was transferred to a safety lantern, ahead of the second leg of the torch relay on Monday, culminating at the Opening Ceremony at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The government minister praised the organisers, SAYGOC, in the face of the unexpected threat posed by the H1N1 virus sweeping the globe.

"On the eve of the opening I am very confident and very happy with the work of the organising committee," he said.

"We are just about to open chapter one. The organising committee has been through a very tough time, quite apart from organising a multi-sports event like this in less than 12 months and on a very tight budget. Then H1N1 reared its head and added a whole new dimension of complexity to the operations."

Responding to the news that Malaysia would be sending a scaled-down team due to the threat of the virus, Dr. Balakrishnan said he respected all authorities and said different countries had different risk assessments and different strategies to respond to it.

"That is why we have been so careful to take every precaution possible and to make sure this is the safest and healthiest games possible.

"All the indications so far are that the people are coming and are happy and feel confident and safe. It is our responsibility to make sure that every child who is in our care will have a great time in Singapore, will make friends, will learn lessons and will have a safe time with us."

The first AYG will run from June 29 to July 7, with around 1,400 athletes aged from 14 to 17 competing for 90 gold medals in nine sports. - OCA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
Read more

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...
4 comments
Read more