Auckland is one of just five cities selected by the International Olympic Committee to host the Youth Olympic Flame as makes its way from Greece to Singapore for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in August 2010.

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games are a first for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as it launches its new initiative to inspire young people to participate in sport, culture and education programmes and to live by the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. New Zealand will send a team of up to 140 athletes and officials.

"The Youth Olympic Games are unique," said New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) secretary general Barry Maister. "They are about bringing our best young sports people together to celebrate sport, learn and share the Olympic spirit with top young athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees around the world. We are delighted to have the opportunity help young athletes boost their careers in a major multi-sport competition as well as highlight the importance of being a well-rounded sportsperson.."

New Zealand's youth Olympians will be aged between 14 and 18 years old and will compete in a selection of summer Olympic sports. International Federations are currently compiling qualification criteria and, in some cases, new formats.

"The Youth Olympic Games are a unique opportunity to trial new formats.

Men's basketball for example, will bring the three on three street game to the Youth Olympic Games," continued Mr Maister.

New Zealand will celebrate the arrival of the Youth Olympic Flame on 31st July* with a formal welcome on behalf of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and the people of Oceania. A city celebration will also be held to commemorate the arrival of the flame and the naming of the Youth Olympic Team on 1 August 2010*. The Youth Olympic Flame will then depart on 2nd August enroute to Seoul and Singapore, ahead of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 14th August 2010.

The multi-cultural city of Auckland will represent the continent of Oceania as one of the stops for the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame (JYOF) after it is lit in Greece in July 2010. The other city representatives are Berlin (Germany) for Europe, Dakar (Senegal) for Africa, Mexico City (Mexico) for the Americas and Seoul (Korea) for Asia.

The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will be held from 14 to 26 August 2010. More than 5,000 athletes and officials from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will take part in the Games, along with an estimated 1,200 media representatives, 20,000 volunteers and more than 500,000 spectators.

About the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame To celebrate the first-ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame will blaze a trail across the world to one city each on the continents of Europe, Africa, the Americas, Oceania and Asia, connecting the people of the world to the Olympic movement and uniting them in celebration of the spirit of Olympism. Starting in July 2010, the Youth Olympic Flame will be lit in Greece, and then journey to Berlin (Germany), Dakar (Senegal), Mexico City (Mexico), Auckland (New Zealand) and Seoul (Korea). At each of the city, a City Celebration will be held for the people of the city and continent to celebrate the arrival of the Youth Olympic Flame and the world's first YOG. The Flame will arrive in Singapore for a six-day round-island torch relay before it lights the cauldron at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, to mark the start of the first YOG.

For more information on JYOF and Singapore 2010, please visit www.singapore2010.sg.