31st Jan 2008
A Singapore publication, The Business Times, is looking for support from the business sector for Singapore’s 2010 Youth Olympic Games bid.
According to the newspaper the Singapore government is planning to contribute U.S. $75.5 million to the Games budget, but says support from the whole community, particularly business, is also needed.
The Business Times says many companies have already gone the extra mile with help from their customers to show their support for the bid “by using such imaginative methods as car decals and T-shirts to help increase public awareness”. But it says “the more commitment from the business sector, the more impressive Singapore’s engagement with the bid will be – this is the time for a massive show of corporate support”.
The newspaper has been rallying the corporate fraternity since last December to show their support. “Every Monday we have been publishing a cumulative list of the companies supporting the country’s bid”. Business Times editor Alvin Tay said, “so far we have listed about 500 companies. Our aim is to get 2,010 companies”.
The newspaper is asking companies to e-mail the word “Yes” to its website with their contact details and the company’s name will be published. Tay said, “it’s meant as a display of corporate support. It could help to show that when it comes to the Games Singapore plays to win”.
Meanwhile construction work on the university town where the Youth Olympic Village would be located has begun following a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday. The US$423 million project will be completed in February 2010 while several key facilities are scheduled for completion by the end of 2009.
The facility is located 13 km from the city centre and within 30 minutes traveling time to all sports venues. It is reportedly built to the latest environmental standards on a compact 19-hectare former golf course and integrates residential, educational, cultural and recreational facilities in a “seamless” design that takes advantage of the natural lush terrain.
A residential zone with eight five-to-nine-storey residential colleges, each consisting of either four or six-bedroom apartments will house 5,000 beds for the 5,000 athletes and officials that are expected to attend the event.
The colleges will be equipped with state-of-the-art teaching and learning facilities, including Village-wide wireless broadband.
http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1201797707
