What it is, is this: a celebration of youthful vigour, a chance to build a sporting culture in a generation obsessed with Nintendo Wii and iPods and spending little time on sport, and an event for Singapore to show the world it can put on a good show.

International Olympic Committee officials and Singapore organisers have gone on about how the world's best athletes will converge in Singapore in August for the inaugural YOG.

Expect world records, they say. But how can that be true?

Take the football competition, for instance. It does not have England, Brazil, Spain or Argentina. Instead, minnows like Albania, Cuba, San Marino and Vanuatu will be taking to the Jalan Besar Stadium pitch.

Swimmers from Canada and the United States — a powerhouse in the sporting world here in August — will also not be turning up, choosing instead to focus on the Pan-Pacific Championships in North America.

So let's stop raising the expectations and building that impression for the Singapore public and other fans around the world.

Continue to talk about world-class performances, and we'll risk raising expectations excessively.

Dr Rogge, in an interview with Reuters, put it well on Tuesday when he said the Games "cannot be too serious".

"It must be fun... there should not be a gravity that you have at the traditional games that's for later."

Dr Rogge's concept of the YOG is a way of keeping the Olympics relevant to a generation who are increasingly turning away from sport and spending more time watching television and surfing the Internet.

That is also one reason why outdoor activities such as a day at Outward Bound Singapore and the Marina Barrage are being included for athletes, who are aged between 14 and 18, coming here.

Workshops on the dangers of taking drugs, and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, are also on the cards.

Interactive activities like forums outside competition time will also help build rapport among athletes from different cultures and promote understanding.

So the YOG will not be a summer or holiday camp. Neither will it be a Junior World Championship.

It will be a good mix of both — something that is tailored for teenage athletes of this age — and the YOG needs to be marketed that way.

What could have been a very boring 2009 Singapore Grand Prix is now shaping up to be an exciting one after recent events in the sport.

Initially, there were worries that the novelty factor of having the world's fastest cars and drivers in Singapore would have worn off.

The economic downturn did not help matters, with companies cutting back on spending on high-end corporate hospitality suites, one of the biggest contributors to ticket sales.

But the possible return of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, for starters, has got fans salivating.

Several are already relishing the prospect of the German going head-to-head with reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who got into F1 after Schumacher retired after the 2006 season.

The duo are very aggressive drivers and have no qualms taking risks when it comes to overtaking, making it all the more thrilling for spectators if they do race wheel-to-wheel on the narrow streets of Marina Bay.

The championship battle is also shaping up to be an interesting one.

After the dominance of Brawn GP early this season when it looked like it could sew up the title even before the F1 circus arrived here, results in the past few races have suggested otherwise.

There are seven races left on the 17-stop calendar, with the Singapore race on Sept 27 the 14th leg.

But Brawns' difficulty in getting their tyres to hit peak temperatures of about 60 degrees - it is thought that recent aerodynamic upgrades have contributed to the problem - have seen them lose speed.

In contrast, the Red Bull machines have benefitted from aerodynamic upgrades like a new front wing, and caught up with the once-ultra fast Brawns.

Red Bull's Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel notched up consecutive 1-2 finishes in Rounds 8 and 9 of the F1 season in Britain and Germany, with Hamilton winning the last race in Hungary.

McLaren, after a disastrous start to the season, seem to be picking up the pace. Ferrari, whose driver Kimi Raikkonen finished second in Hungary, are also on a resurgence.

The return of these two top teams who have plenty of supporters here, coupled with the title fight between Brawn and Red Bull, are just the ingredients Singapore needed.

Taiwanese pole vaulter Chi Chien-hao bagged a silver medal at the AYG.
ST Photo: Desmond Wee

The athletes were aged between 14 and 17, but the standard of competition was high, especially in football, diving, swimming and table tennis.

And several among the 1,300 teenagers are set to be the continent's future sporting luminaries.

Swimmers Quah Ting Wen and Chang Gyu Cheol were both named the Games' Most Valuable Player after both won four gold medals each in the pool.

Quah Ting Wen (first from left) was named one of the Most Valuable Player at the Games.
ST Photo: Albert Sim

South Korean footballer Suh Myeong Won also stood out with his tricky footwork.

The forward joined the youth set-up at English Premier League side Portsmouth three months ago, and has all the makings of the next Park Ji Sung.

The two Koreas were involved in one of the Games' special moments, and a classic example of how sports' can play a uniting role in society.

Both North and South Korea featured in the football final - the South won, for the record - and the game was played in good spirit despite the political overtones.

South Korean footballers playing foosball at the Swissotel The Stamford, the official Games Village.
ST Photo: Albert Sim

And after the medal presentations, the teenagers, arms draped around each other, chatted and joked like old friends.

Such friendships were forged between athletes from the 43 participating countries, both through sporting competition and through the AYG's culture and education component, where they learnt about the traditions of other nations.

To be sure, the Games' were also blighted by hiccups.

Several venues were less than half full, with the lack of pre-Games publicity by organisers cited as a reason.

Television schedules were also changed at the last minute, leaving many Singaporeans frustrated. Some even wrote to the forum page of this newspaper.

But these will be good learning points for the organisers of next year's Youth Olympic Games, when the entire world will be watching Singapore.

Victorious Thai beach volleyball teams posed with AYG volunteers.
ST Photo: Lin Sin Thai

And the revolution continues. From next year, a voluntary budget cap will be introduced. 

It is the brainchild of Max Mosley, the president of world motorsports' governing body, the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

Since the announcement last week, Ferrari have come out strongly to condemn the move, saying a cap on spending will hurt a sport which relies as much on constant technical innovation as it does on driver skill. 

There are rumours too that the Italian side could quit the championship. Over the weekend, Mosley went as far to say that the sport could survive without Ferrari, if the team does not adapt to the new rule.

Read between the lines, and it's obvious he's telling the 16-time constructors' championship winners that they are welcome to leave.

But step back from the fray and war of words, and Mosley's idea makes perfect sense. 

It is a matter of time before Ferrari - and any of the other big manufacturer teams like McLaren who have been spending hundreds of millions of pounds annually to compete in F1 - fall in line.

The way the cap works is simple. In exchange for keeping budgets to £40 million, teams would be allowed more technical freedom in designing their cars. This includes front and rear wings that will have movable parts, and engines without a rev limit.

If they choose not to abide by the cap, then they will continue under present rules that restrict engine performance and ban moveable wings. 

Yes, this could cause a two-tier championship between the "compliers" and "non-compliers".

But the message is clear: Comply or risk losing out to your competitors who are able to put a car on the starting grid for 18 races for that sum of money.

Would Ferrari dare continue spending tons more money than other teams, and at the same time run the risk of losing out to smaller teams operating on a leaner budget, but who have been able to take advantage of the rule and hence have faster machines?

Like any organisation, Ferrari have a board to answer to and will be hard pressed to find an explanation.

But they do have a point.

The budget cap is a jaw-dropping move for a sport that prides itself as the pinnacle of racing, where many teams have hundreds of workers toiling in state-of-the-art factories, doing incessant research all year-round in that quest to slice tenths of a second off lap times.

It means lesser innovation, lesser testing out of parts that could eventually make it to road cars.

But the cap is a step in the right direction, given that expenditures have been escalating alarmingly over the past decade and the world is in the throes of an economic recession.

Average F1 team expenditures in the 1990s were much less than £80 million, now it comes close to £300 million.

This is not sustainable in the long run, given that many team sponsors primarily consist of financial and auto-industry firms - who have been hit hard by the downturn.

The FIA have also made some concessions, the £40 million figure up from the £30 million originally announced by Mosley in mid-March.

And driver salaries are not included, so the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen can carry on earning £15 million to £20 million a year. Also excluded are marketing and hospitality budgets, which can go up to tens of millions of pounds.

The FIA has also said the cap could also be adjusted from year to year depending on the state of the economy. 

So now, it is up to teams like Ferrari to make concessions of their own. Sure, a cap will cause redundancies and near-certain retrenchment of some staff - big teams have over 1000 workers, while smaller ones like Red Bull have only about 300.

But it would be better to shift towards a leaner operation now, than see the sport hurtle towards a demise of its own making.

Already, Honda have quit F1 because of the unsustainable spending. And the cap has helped ignite interest from new teams like Britian's Lola who are keen to join if costs are reduced.

The wake-up call this recession has provided should not go unheeded, even if you are a name synonymous with F1.

While Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea fans can look forward to the midweek Champions League semi-final matches, we Reds supporters are left twiddling our thumbs.

And after the roller-coaster eight goal classics against Chelsea and Arsenal in recent weeks, there is a sense that no matter how much Liverpool do, it's just not our year yet again on the trophy front.

Both matches brought up the best, and worst, that is Liverpool this season.

Penetrative, swift attacking by Fernando Torres and Co. backfired after pathetic, non-existent defending in those games that finished in 4-4 draws.

There's hope left in the Premier League title race, some of you say?

Mathematically, yes. But realistically Liverpool are looking at another disappointing season, one that will force us to bring up the pet topics "1990" and "Istanbul" all over again in conversations with fans of other clubs.

Leaders Manchester United are three points ahead with a game in hand and judging by their form against Spurs last Saturday when they came back from two goals down to put five past the Londoners, I'm not betting against them retaining the league title.

Liverpool have four league games left: against Newcastle, West Ham, West Brom and Spurs.

That's two teams in the top ten and two in the relegation dogfight, so there's a possibility Liverpool will drop points again.

The Red Devils have matches against Boro, Man City, Wigan, Arsenal and Hull City.

They could drop points against Arsenal and their Mancunian neighbours, but Alex Ferguson's team are also traditionally the strongest this time of year, and have the resources to cope with challenging both at home and in Europe.

Well, at least Liverpool's league form is better than last year, when they finished fourth with 76 points, 11 behind Man U.

With 74 points accumulated already, they should exceed last season's tally, pointing to a measure of improvement.

And hey, we have their friendly in Singapore against the Lions on July 26 to look forward to.

As for Chelsea fans, they will be enjoying a happy Easter weekend as they look forward to next Tuesday's return leg at Stamford Bridge, with their side almost guaranteed progress to the semi-finals. Before the game, many would have been happy to leave Anfield with a draw.

But to Liverpool fans, it must have been heart-breaking to watch their team concede three goals to a side they have beaten both at home and away in the Premier League this season.

And the blame must fall squarely on manager Rafael Benitez, especially his penchant for zonal marking.

That system allowed Chelsea's second-choice right back Branislav Ivanovic could get past a string of defenders - twice - and head in off set-pieces.

All Ivanovic needed to do was run around the penalty area like a man gone mad, and he found plenty of space.

Also baffling - Liverpool's decision to not have any defenders marking the near and far posts for corner kicks.

Had defenders been there, both of Ivanovic's goals would have been stopped.

Such basic mistakes should never be made at the highest level, the top tier of European club competition.

Of course, there were other factors for Liverpool's stunning 1-3 defeat.

Steven Gerrard being shackled by Michael Essien, the suspension of key holding midfielder Javier Mascherano as well meant Chelsea controlled the middle of the park.

Liverpool now have less than a week to prepare for the return leg, and face a mountain to climb if they want to progress.

They need at least a 3-0 win to progress. But at the fortress that is the Bridge?

Common sense says no, but the heart says never rule the Reds out especially after Istanbul 2005 and the FA Cup final in 2006.

The midfielder will do anything, it seems, to remain in the frame for a spot on the England team at the 2010 World Cup.

Forking out a few million pounds, going back on his word, what next for the 33-year-old who is already on the decline?

Last week, Beckham paid 3 million pounds from his own pocket to ensure his loan period at AC Milan was extended till the end of the Serie A season. Some may say it showed his commitment to playing his way back into the England set-up, but to me it reeks of desperation.

The other option - returning to LA Galaxy and playing in the backwater of Major League Soccer, which kicks off in the middle of this month - would spell disaster for his England hopes.

But when Beckham's loan to Milan was first announced last October, he pledged he would return to the United States in time for the start of the 2009 season.

The move to Italy, he said then, was just to keep himself fit during the MLS off-season, so he could fight for a spot in Fabio Capello's national squad.

And now, Golden Balls is reneging on his word. Becks now says he will return to the Galaxy and play for them between July and November, the second half of the season.

But the damage to his reputation has already been done.

Want more proof of the depths Beckham will plunge to to keep his England dream burning?

Last December, he claimed it was his lifelong dream to play for Milan - but this fact was curiously not in his autobiography.

'Sorry, I thought I had mentioned it,' he replied when reporters questioned him on this. 'Maybe I will write another one and I'll definitely mention it, and I'll have some pictures of me playing there too.'

These recent moves mirror the sad state of his career. His transfer from Spanish club Real Madrid to the Galaxy in 2007 was due to his pop-star wife Victoria Beckham and the lucrative payout being dangled before him.

She wanted to rub shoulders with the Hollywood elite, and the Galaxy gave him a $365 million, five year deal - the richest contract in world sport.

What's the big deal about Beckham anyway? In Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Aaron Lennon, Capello has three outstanding wingers who can slot into the right midfield position, are much faster than Beckham and fitter too.

If Capello does decide he doesn't need Beckham at next year's World Cup after all - and that would be the right choice - the joke would really be on football's most over-rated player now.

MAY 12, 2007: The day after it was announced Singapore would be hosting a Formula One race for the next five years, organisers were already thinking far ahead.

"The biggest challenge is getting people back in the second, third, fourth, fifth years," Singapore GP executive director Michael Roche told us back then.

"We know Singaporeans always want to be involved in anything that's held for the first time, but we need novel ideas that will draw them back in subsequent years."

Nearly two years on, two other issues have also surfaced that will determine whether the 2009 event, set for September 25th to 27th this year, is as successful as last year's.

The first is the poor economic climate, which has already claimed several major Wall Street institutions and forced F1 to undertake a raft of cost-cutting measures. 

In the light of retrenchments and uncertainty in the jobs market, most Singaporeans will be less willing to splash out on F1 tickets - considered by many to be a luxury. 

The second is the challenged posed by new kid on the block, Abu Dhabi, which will claim much of the novelty value that Singapore enjoyed last year. As with all things to do with the emirate, Abu Dhabi is working on a lavish, seven-star project that is bound to impress the world.

A brand-new motorsports circuit, now under construction, is part of a $40 billion development funded by Abu Dhabi’s ruling elite and a partially government-backed developer. The facility includes a marina and seven hotels, including one built over the track!

Organisers there are also reportedly keen on following Singapore's lead in staging a night race, though this has yet to be confirmed.

But what Abu Dhabi is promising will very likely mean that hard-core F1 fans from Europe, the sport's traditional heartland, will have more incentive to attend what promises to be the "race of the season".

Europeans would also not need to pay as much in airfares to travel there, compared to a long-haul trip all the way to Singapore.

Singapore organisers thus have a tough task this year if they want to match last year's race-day spectatorship figure of 100,000.

Their decision to introduce early-bird prices when public tickets go on sale in March is a step in the right direction. Last year, three-day public passes ranged from $168 to $1,388 and fans can probably expect the majority of these tickets to be cheaper this year.

Prices for the two cheapest options - general walkabout ($168) and Marina Bay grandstand tickets ($248-$298) - are not expected to increase too.

But more can, and should, be done to pack the Marina Bay circuit once again.

For instance, why not have discounts for students and families? 10 to 20 per cent off for those still schooling, as well as discounts for say, a family of four, would go a long way to attracting more fans.

For many families who decided not to attend the F1 last year, the main obstacle was the cost. This would amount to over $600 for a family of four, for three-day general walkabout passes. Grandstand tickets would burn an even bigger hole in the pocket.

Another strategy to draw more fans in is in the off-track entertainment, a rarity in other F1 venues.

Last year's race was praised by overseas visitors because of the varied music and entertainment acts sprinkled around the circuit, in areas like the Padang and outside the Esplanade.

Guest DJs were flown in by clubs like Zouk for dance parties, and there was live music by local bands and oveseas ones like The Whalers as well.

Why not aim for bigger headline acts this year, and even more entertainment stages so fans will have even more variety to choose from?

All this will make the entire race-day experience more worthwhile, and provide more value at a time when fans want to get the most out of any dollar spent.

The various challenges posed to this year's F1 are by no means insurmountable, and with good planning and some novel ideas, Singapore may once again be celebrating a job well done on the last weekend of September.

That would provide a bright spot, amidst all the economic gloom these days.

Kaka's decision to turn down a quadrupling of his weekly wages to 500,000 pounds is earning praise from all quarters.

Good on you, Kaka, for showing the sheikhs over at Man City that they cannot just buy any player they want with their unbelievable wealth. 

It was a clear show of loyalty, some AC Milan officials said, as the Brazilian thumbed his nose at the chance to be the planet's best-paid footballer.

Source: AFP

But dig just a little deeper and maybe, just maybe, it was not just about loyalty and money.

Where is Man City in the English Premier League? Four points off the relegation zone, with no chance this season of qualifying for the European competitions.

What would Kaka have done if the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, or Manchester United had come knocking?

The promise of riches and the lure of Champions League football every season, I think, would have been hard to resist. Being part of any of those pedigreed teams would be a great privilege.

It's a big difference playing week-in week-out with stars like Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Barcelona's Thierry Henry, compared to a Michael Johnson or Stephen Ireland from Man City.

Sure, Man City has Robinho. But a team like Real is chock full of brand names that boast skill levels far higher than all the Man City players (bar Robinho).

Challenging for the Spanish Primera Liga, EPL crown, and Champions League every season is what every top footballer wants, and there are only a few teams that can offer Kaka that.

But, Man City isn't quite one of those (not yet!) - no matter how much money their sheikhs throw on the table.

The millions of pounds might buy some fancy houses, private planes and yachts, but it certainly won't buy Kaka the silverware that will ensure he is remembered as one of the best footballers of his time.

Now, who wants to wager if Kaka will decide to move if one of the elite European clubs makes a similar offer?

And with good reason. Host countries usually push for the inclusion of "traditional" sports they are strong in, like petanque (throwing small metal balls at a bigger wooden one), arnis (a martial arts event where competitors hit each other with rattan sticks) and shuttle-cock kicking (capteh).

These are not in the Asian, Commonwealth or Olympic Games calendar but so what?

The hosts are usually strong in such indigenous sports and it can only help boost their overall medal tally and vault them up the standings.

Who cares if others says it makes the Games a joke?

The "Kampung Games" moniker came to my mind once again when on Sunday, Malaysia's Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob suggested sending second-stringers to the 25th edition of the SEA Games in Laos in December.

This, after Laos decided to drop mainstream sports like tenpin bowling and squash - gold medal prospects for Malaysia - in favour of shuttle-cock kicking and fin swimming.

A ridiculous move that devalues the SEA Games, Datuk Ismail said, calling the Games a 'circus'.

True to a certain extent, for host countries have long pushed for the inclusion of such nonsensical events that masquerade as sports.

Still, the Games do hold some relevance, and in a sense beyond a sporting one.

First, it is a good training ground even for sports that countries have already reached Asian or world-class levels.

Singapore Sailing president Low Teo Ping, for instance, has no qualms about sending his "B" team to the SEA Games, given that the sport has churned out world and Asian champions in the past few years.

The SEA Games would help them get used to the pressures of a major meet, before they go on to higher-level events.

And for sports like athletics, Singapore is nowhere near the Asian level, so the SEA Games remains the high point for many athletes to aim for in their careers.

National 100m record holder Amanda Choo, for instance, was only seventh in the 2007 SEA Games final but set a new national mark in the competition.

The biennial Games is also a chance for Asean countries to come together and celebrate the spirit of sport and Asean solidarity.

That is why you will notice other Asean countries will close one eye and allow hosts to include a few eyebrow raising sports like fin swimming.

The SEA Games also allows athletes of such lesser-known sports a stage to showcase their skills to the region and increase awareness of what they are all about.

Say what you will, but the sight of swimmers wearing snorkel masks and fins and racing underwater makes for good entertainment, doesn't it?

So a circus it may be, but the Kampung Games is here to stay.