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suicidalpap
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'Cynics, focus on me'
Just why is Singapore hosting the Youth Olympic Games? Are Singaporeans really enthusiastic about the event? These questions are being asked by netizens.
Now, Vivian Balakrishnan has entered the online fray to speak up for the volunteers and athletes here - the "real stars and primary motivation" for the YOG.
"Everything else is secondary," wrote Dr Balakrishnan, who felt he "had to respond", after stumbling upon blogger Brian Koh's post titled "Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games: Singapore, what do you want?" .
"I really do believe that getting good young people from all over the world to meet, compete, collaborate and interact in Singapore will make a real difference to the future," Dr Balakrishnan wrote.
He agreed with the blogger, a trainer in the YOG Culture and Education Programme, that volunteers "are the most important component of Singapore 2010".
"I have met so many volunteers, working their guts out. They cannot be doing this for the government or the ministers," Dr Balakrishnan added.
"I know they are doing this because they are quietly proud of Singapore and what it represents, and because they want to reach out to fellow Singaporeans and the rest of the world that the athletes represent.
"I wish the cynics would just focus their negative energy on me, and let the athletes and volunteers have the time of their lives."
Just why is Singapore hosting the Youth Olympic Games? Are Singaporeans really enthusiastic about the event? These questions are being asked by netizens.
Now, Vivian Balakrishnan has entered the online fray to speak up for the volunteers and athletes here - the "real stars and primary motivation" for the YOG.
"Everything else is secondary," wrote Dr Balakrishnan, who felt he "had to respond", after stumbling upon blogger Brian Koh's post titled "Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games: Singapore, what do you want?" .
"I really do believe that getting good young people from all over the world to meet, compete, collaborate and interact in Singapore will make a real difference to the future," Dr Balakrishnan wrote.
He agreed with the blogger, a trainer in the YOG Culture and Education Programme, that volunteers "are the most important component of Singapore 2010".
"I have met so many volunteers, working their guts out. They cannot be doing this for the government or the ministers," Dr Balakrishnan added.
"I know they are doing this because they are quietly proud of Singapore and what it represents, and because they want to reach out to fellow Singaporeans and the rest of the world that the athletes represent.
"I wish the cynics would just focus their negative energy on me, and let the athletes and volunteers have the time of their lives."