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Singapore is looking for sponsors and volunteers as it prepares to host the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) hopes to get US$38 million or more in corporate sponsorship deals for the YOG.

The SYOGOC hopes local and regional companies will be well represented when it comes to sponsorship of the Games.

So far, some 600 companies have come forward to express their interest.

But local organisers will have to discuss with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) before working out the marketing and sponsorship plans.

Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, said: "We will have to make it relevant and if possible, affordable, for these companies so that everybody can play a part. But the details and guidelines are still being worked out. We also need the guidelines from the IOC to work out these packages."

Also speaking to the media at the Singapore Youth Olympics Games headquarters was Brigadier—General Goh Kee Nguan, who has been appointed the chief executive officer of the Games organising committee.

Brig—Gen (NS) Goh was a senior commander in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and chaired the executive committee of the 2006 National Day Parade. In 2005, he headed the SAF joint—task force for the tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia.

But now, he will be the man in charge of running the operations and logistics of the YOG.

One of the immediate tasks for the new CEO will be to ensure there are enough permanent staff and volunteers. It is estimated that around 500 permanent staff and about 7,000 volunteers will be needed before the Games start.

Brig—Gen (NS) Goh said: "Volunteers can come in in the creative areas, sports, training and education, in IT, website multimedia. We need volunteers in specialised areas like these, but at the same time we need volunteers in general areas."

Organisers say the response from volunteers has been good and they hope more will come forward to catch a bit of the Olympic experience.

Interested volunteers can register online at Singapore2010 website.

Companies interested in sponsorship can also register at the same website. The potential local sponsorship categories include: airline, apparel, automobile, banking, energy, security and telecommunications.

Meanwhile it was announced that Dr Ng Eng Hen, the new Minister for Education from 1 April, has joined the panel of advisers to the SYOGOC. Others on the panel include Mr Teo Ser Luck; Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan; Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence and president of the Singapore National Olympic Council; and Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance.

(Source: Yahoo.com)