By Ng Yang Han

DON'T care about the Youth Olympic Games (YOG)?

Watch the athletes in action, and you will take back your words.

This is what national youth triathlete Scott Ang, 17, wants to tell critics of the upcoming games in August.

He said: "Some say the YOG is not a competition at the highest level. Others say we aren't true Olympians because we're just teenagers.

"And some think the YOG is not as prestigious as the (Summer) Olympic Games.

"But you just watch one race (at the YOG) and you will change your mindset entirely."

That's because the level of competition among the athletes present at the YOG will be as intense as those competing at the Olympics.

Thus for him, the lack of interest in the YOG is "illogical" because the same athletes in the YOG will participate in the Olympics eight years later.

"If you get an autograph from (us) now, it's going be worth a lot in 10 years," he said half-jokingly.

The Singapore Sports School student is one of the competitors for the triathlon event. The other is Clara Wong, 17, from Victoria Junior College.

Triathletes Scott Ang and Clara Wong earned the right to represent Singapore at the maiden Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August 2010 after winning the final selection trial at the OSIM Singapore International Triathlon at East Coast Park.