As a stunning fireworks display heralded the end of the inaugural youth Olympic Games, New Zealand IOC member and NZOC Secretary General Barry Maister called for New Zealand sports to take a closer look at the rise of youth games.
The Youth Olympic Games in Singapore ran from 12 to 26 attracting 3600 young athletes from around the world. The programme included new-format events such as three on three basketball, international teams events and mixed gender events. It also boasted an extensive culture and education programme aimed at promoting balanced lives for athletes.
New Zealand athletes returned home with seven medals including one gold to Southlands Aaron Barclay in the mens triathlon, five silvers and one bronze.
While Barry Maister praised the efforts of the 54-strong team of 14 18 year olds, he said New Zealand sporting organizations needed to realize the Youth Olympic Games are a permanent fixture and as such, a stronger focus on youth multi-sport games is required. The games were a success and the IOC has signaled they are here to stay, he said. They have enormous potential and provide an outstanding opportunity for young athletes to test their mettle.
Im calling for a industry-wide look at the role Youth Games play in the sporting calendar and will be asking both sport and SPARC to consider how best to prepare our athletes for such competition. While certainly the Youth Olympic Games are not the Olympic Games, the level of competition is nonetheless very high. We need to select the best of our youth athletes and ensure they are ready for the level competition they will face.
Maister includes the creation of an overall youth strategy, talent identification programmes and tighter youth selection policies as factors in maximizing the benefits youth games can bring to New Zealand sport.
There are five Olympic Youth or Commonwealth Youth Games between now and 2013 including the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck in 2012. The New Zealand Olympic Committee is the conduit by which athletes attend these games which are funded by the New Zealand Olympic Committee and its commercial partners, the host nation and a contribution from athletes themselves.
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