By Terrence Voon & Lin Xinyi

WITH just 18 months to go before the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the clock is ticking for organisers of the inaugural event.

And with Singapore in the grip of a financial downturn, can the country deliver a top-notch sporting show next year?

The answer, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck, is still a resounding yes.

Addressing queries by MPs yesterday, he acknowledged there had been 'a lull' in YOG-related activities since the historic bid was won last year.

But a slew of initiatives is being lined up this year, as organisers gear up for the final lap of preparations for the Games in 2010.

'This year, we're going to roll out several engagement activities with the schools and even at the district level to actually encourage more and more community events that will create the buzz again,' he said.

This includes partnering voluntary welfare organisations such as the Harvest Care Centre for a cultural and heritage event in April, and the Institute of Technical Education, which is organising a basic service excellence training programme for 20,000 volunteers.

Another key initiative announced yesterday: satellite training centres for selected Olympic sports in each of the four school zones.

In the coming months, promising secondary school students will be groomed at these centres for the Youth Olympics. The long-term goal is to provide additional avenues for youth participation and excellence in sports.

This is part of the Singapore Youth Sports Development (SYSD) committee's plans to increase participation in sports.

Formed last September, the SYSD committee has been given the task of preparing local athletes for the inaugural Games and strengthening the Singapore sports system.

But even as the preparations go into high gear, several MPs wondered if the Games would be scuppered by the weak economy.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines GRC) all expressed concerns that corporate sponsorship for the YOG may shrink.

Mr Teo noted that companies are more cautious now when it comes to sponsorship, but gave the assurance that the YOG's target of $50million could still be met.

'I'm also having a bit of a hard time to meet some of the targets,' he acknowledged.

'But you can be assured that the interest among the potential sponsors is still there, though maybe the quantum is a bit smaller.'

But it is not just big companies that can help boost the sponsorship kitty. He urged local small- and medium-sized enterprises to come forward and support the cause.

'We will exercise flexibility to tailor the sponsorship packages to suit companies. SMEs can also consider forming a consortium with their counterparts to support the YOG.'

The other piece of good news is that the current shortage of construction materials, as noted by Mr Sin, has not significantly affected preparations for the YOG.

According to Mr Teo, this is because Singapore will not be building major infrastructure for the Games.

Of the 26 sports featured, 22 will be held in existing venues that require either temporary overlays or upgrading works.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.