This article is presented without bias or favour and can be used, at no charge, for editorial purposes.

By Lin Xinyi

He might have conceptualised the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

But not even International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge could have envisioned such a successful inaugural Games.

As the 12-day sporting party drew to a close yesterday, Rogge said the YOG had vastly exceeded his highest expectations.

“I did not expect this level of perfection,” he said of the organisation – about a third of the scale of a Summer Games – in his closing press conference at the Marina Bay Sands.

“Hats off to Singapore for what they’ve done. I now have 22 Olympic Games under my belt and the YOG is ranking at the very top.”

The event, which caters to athletes aged between 14 and 18, has been championed by the Belgian since he became the Olympics chief in 2001.

Competition in the 26 Olympic sports aside, it includes a simultaneous culture and education component.

The integration was one of many firsts of the Games.

The world also witnessed a diving event held in the open at night and the use of laser shooting in the modern pentathlon for the first time.

New formats like three-on-three basketball and mixed-team events in triathlon and swimming were also introduced.

These adaptations, aimed at attracting a younger audience, drew praise from Rogge.

In a bid to reach out to youths, the Games also made its presence felt on YouTube and social networking sites.

Rogge added that the media coverage had surpassed his expectations.

The former Olympic sailor noted that 45,000 articles were written by some 1,200 journalists, and the YOG was broadcasted in 166 countries.

In addition, a five-billion-strong audience watched YOG YouTube clips while four million people visited its Facebook page.

Another pleasing statistic: Of the 204 National Olympic Committees that were represented at the YOG, 98 will return with at least one medal.

This is 12 more than in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and a sign of increased universality. “It is important that new countries win medals,” he said of new Olympic medallists like Jordan and Nauru.

Although the YOG has exceeded his expectations on all levels, Rogge said that there is room for improvement.

He acknowledged that a number of countries did not send their top athletes to the Games – a scenario that is unlikely to be repeated at future YOG events.

“It has been a big effort but we will not be complacent and we will learn from these Games and go forward from here,” he said.

Even though the Singapore Games may be over, Singapore YOG organising committee chairman Ng Ser Miang said it has made a lasting impact.

“The YOG has deepened our sporting culture,” he said.

“For the young people and students, I think this has created a real opportunity for them to watch sports competition.

“I believe that many more youths will take up sports in the future and many more would want to compete for Singapore.”

This article is presented without bias or favour and can be used, at no charge, for editorial purposes.