sport 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 2009 PAGE C40

SPORTSWORLD
Phelps unhurt
in car crash
BALTIMORE: Olympic
swimming champion Michael
Phelps was involved in a traffic
accident in Baltimore,
Maryland, on Thursday, but
was not injured, police said.
The American swimmer was
driving one of the vehicles that
collided at an intersection at
about 9pm. The driver of the
other car was taken to a local
hospital as a precaution. Phelps’
two passengers were also
unhurt.
He was questioned by the
police, but they said alcohol
was not a factor.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Eagles throw
Vick a lifeline
NEW YORK: Quarterback
Michael Vick, released from jail
in May after serving 23 months
for bankrolling a dog-fighting
ring, has been signed by
National Football League (NFL)
team Philadelphia Eagles on a
one-year deal, with an option
for a second year.
The 29-year-old had an The clock has started ticking, as participants and volunteers cheer at the opening of the one-year YOG countdown party on the steps of the City Hall last night. ST PHOTOS: ALPHONSUS CHERN
indefinite suspension lifted last
month.

ONE YEAR TO YOUTH GAMES

REUTERS

Aussie cricketer
banned for assault
SYDNEY: Australian cricket
authorities yesterday banned
Twenty20 star Luke
Pomersbach from playing until
at least January, after he
pleaded guilty to multiple
charges that include assaulting
a police officer.
The attacking middle-order
batsman, who plays for Kings
XI Punjab in the Indian Premier
League, apologised in court for
a drunken rampage that led to
his being arrested by police in
Perth last Sunday.
Pomersbach, 24, was fined
A$3,500 (S$4,240) by the court,
lost his driver’s licence for six
months and was ordered to pay
more than A$20,000 for the
damages he caused.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
S’pore bodybuilders
claim two golds
JOAN Liew won the Asian
women’s (52kg & below)
category, while Adele Lee was
tops in the Asian women’s
(body fitness 164cm) class at
the Asian and South-east Asian
bodybuilding championships in
Pattaya yesterday.
Their victories take
Singapore’s medal tally to two
golds and two silvers. The
competition ends on Monday.
Countdown to Olympic
event starts with a bang,
as thousands turn up
BY TERRENCE VOON & As the minutes ticked closer to the
JEANETTE WANG
THERE is still a year to go before the inau-
gural Youth Olympic Games (YOG), but
Singapore is already in the party mood.
Over 5,000 revellers transformed the
Padang into a pulsating dance and music
venue last night, as organisers marked
the 365-day countdown to the Games
with a dazzling celebration that went on
long into the night.
The star attraction: A 10m-tall count-
down clock on the steps of City Hall, that
was unveiled in a hail of fireworks at pre-
cisely 8.10pm, or 2010 hours.
Fittingly, it was the same location
where some 5,000 gathered last year to
witness the International Olympic Com-
mittee (IOC) announce that Singapore
had won the right to host the very first
Youth Games.
Judging from the reaction of the
youths who turned up yesterday, next
year’s opening ceremony on Aug 14 at the
Marina Bay Floating Platform will be just
as raucous and electrifying.
Senior Minister and Coordinating Min-
ister for National Security S. Jayakumar,
who was the guest of honour, was moved
by the occasion and the atmosphere.
“If anyone has any doubts about the
School: “I’m here because it’s history in
the making.”
Michael Krahmer, a tourist from Ger-
many, could not help taking pictures of
the event. “This is the first time I’m hear-
ing about the YOG. It’s a great idea to
bring youths together,” he said.
countdown hour, the celebrations began
in earnest.
The crowd spilled onto St Andrew’s
Road, where youths of all ages were seen
waving flags and dancing to the music,
punctuating the proceedings with
screams of excitement.
The mood was so infectious that even
Team Singapore officials like Singapore’s IOC executive
leading out the YOG board member Ng Ser Miang and Senior
flag. They marched Parliamentary Secretary (Community,
down St Andrew’s
Road, past the Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck moved to
the beat on stage.
cheering crowd,
including (from left) IOC president Jacques Rogge, who ad-
Minister for dressed participants via a video message,
was delighted with Singapore’s prepara-
Community
Development, Youth tions for the Games so far – despite the
and Sports Vivian short time given for organisers to put to-
Balakrishnan, Prof gether the 26-sport event, which will fea-
Jayakumar and Mr Ng.
ture 5,000 athletes and officials.
“We are indeed happy with the
support, enthusiasm and spirit of the dang offering the chance to try out vari- progress to date, as preparations are well
young for the YOG, they should come ous sports like Bossaball, a mix of volley- on track for the Games to develop a
here and listen to all of you,” he said. ball and football, on a huge inflatable unique event integrating sports, educa-
“It is this spirit, these vibes and your trampoline-like court. tion and culture next year,” he said.
support that we need from now till the There was also an Olympic Day Run “The spirit demonstrated by the peo-
YOG takes place. I have no doubt that which drew more than 3,000 partici- ple of Singapore, especially the youth and
you will maintain your enthusiasm.” pants. volunteers, is heartwarming.”
The festivities began earlier in the Said 13-year-old Beatrice Lim, a Sec- tvoon@sph.com.sg
evening, with a YOG carnival at the Pa- ondary 2 student from St Margaret’s jwang@sph.com.sg

Hard training ahead for YOG hopefuls

BY LIN XINYI
AFTER six years of sailing, Darren Choy
is well aware that time and tide wait for
no man.
With the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)
just 364 days away, the national sailor
does not have a moment to waste.
“This means there’s only one more
year to prepare,” said the 15-year-old Sin-
gapore Sports School student at the YOG
countdown party yesterday. “A year of
tough training.”
Overseas competitions, training at sea
and countless hours in the gym are on his
schedule as he bids to fly Singapore’s flag
in the Byte CII event.
Having started the groundwork last
year, when the Optimist specialist
switched to the Byte, he will now be look-
ing to improve his racing skills.
As part of his YOG preparations, he
will leave today for the Byte CII World
Championships in Canada.
The Asian Youth Games (AYG) gold
medallist has set his sights on a top-five
finish in a field that includes British
world champion Jon Emmett, 32.
“If I do well, it’ll be a boost for me be-
fore the YOG,” said Darren, who is one of
15 Singaporean sailors (Byte and windsurf-
ing) aiming to feature at the Aug 14 to 26
Games.
Getting physically stronger is another
area that the 53kg sailor is working on.
He needs to reach 58kg – the ideal
weight for boys competing in the Byte.
That will allow him to compete well in
the South-west monsoon conditions,
which will be the norm off the waters of
the East Coast this time next year.
The Republic’s youth paddlers, includ-
ing Isabelle Li, 15, are also gearing up for
the inaugural Games.
They are in Chungcheongnam-do,
South Korea, participating in the Korea
Junior & Cadet Open – a stop in the Inter-
national Table Tennis Federation’s junior
circuit.
They will average one overseas tourna- Singapore’s medal hunt
ment a month till the end of the year.
The Singapore Table Tennis Associa-
tion’s honorary secretary and youth devel-
opment chairman Soon Min Sin said:
“The junior circuit tournaments will al-
low them to better understand opponents
from this age-group and accumulate
more ranking points so that they will
have a higher seeding during the YOG.”
The six shuttlers in the YOG squad are
expected to feature in about 10 tourna-
ments before the Games. There are also
plans to invite Chinese sparring partners,
said Singapore Badminton Association
chief executive Edwin Pang.
Meanwhile, the youth swimmers are
preparing to make a big splash again, af-
ter delivering five golds, two silvers and
five bronzes at the AYG.
Although the final YOG selection will
take place only in March at the Singapore
National Age Group Swimming Champi-
ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
onships, AYG four-gold star Quah Ting
Wen has been ruled out. Swimming (for male athletes born in 1992 or 1993 and female athletes
She turns 17 next Saturday, and will be born in 1993 or 1994)
over the age limit when the YOG comes The swimming team made the biggest splash for Singapore at the Asian Youth
around. Games (AYG) last month, when they delivered five golds, two silvers and five
However, national swimmer Amanda bronzes. But without four-gold star Quah Ting Wen, who will be over the age
Lim has pledged to make up for the loss. limit when the YOG comes round, the onus will be on Amanda Lim (above),
“I’m sure we’ll do our best to make up Rainer Ng and company to deliver.
the difference in her absence,” Amanda
said. “We’ll train twice as hard.” Sailing (for athletes born in 1994 or 1995)
Another athlete set to double his work- Darren Choy showed that he is one to look out for after a dominant display in
load is Travis Woodford. The the Byte CII event at the AYG. The 15-year-old claimed nine wins in 11 races
16-year-old is trying to qualify for two and took two second-place finishes en route to gold.
YOG sports – cycling and triathlon.
“I’m one year closer to my dream of Table tennis (for athletes born in 1994 or 1995)
representing Singapore in a major In Isabelle Li, Singapore boasts the girls’ Under-15 world No. 10. The
Games,” he said. “There’s going to be 15-year-old was a central figure in the Republic’s bronze-medal win in the AYG
lots of travelling, training and sweat.” mixed team event, which featured the world’s table tennis powerhouses like
China and Japan.
Additional reporting by Jeanette Wang and
Christopher Ong