Mascots of the First Youth Olympic Games Unveiled!

With just 264 days to go before Singapore hosts the world’s first Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Lyo and Merly are ready to blaze the trail. The official mascots for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games were unveiled by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports on 21 November.   As mascots for Singapore 2010, Lyo(pronounced as Leo), a lion cub, embodies the values of excellence and friendship, while Merly, a merlion, personifies the values of excellence and respect. Through their acts and stories, they will promote the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect.     Welcoming Lyo and Merly to the Singapore 2010 family, Mr Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, said, “As mascots for Singapore 2010, Lyo and Merly have to appeal to the international community and the youth.  At the same time, they must also possess a strong Singapore’s identity. As the host city for the inaugural YOG, we hope to share our culture with friends around the world.  What better way to do it than to have Lyo and Merly represent us and the youth, and be the faces of the first YOG.”   Lyo is short for “Lion of the Youth Olympics”. A sports lover, he is fun-loving and hopes to inspire young people to keep fit and enjoy sports for life. He symbolises youths’ boundless energy, their determination to live life to the fullest and zeal to strive for excellence.   Merly got her name from “mer” (meaning the sea) and “l y” stand for liveliness and youthfulness. A passionate advocate of environment protection, Merly believes that everyone has a role to play in working towards a sustainable future. She also wants to encourage young people to play an active role in their communities and promote respect for one another.   Lyo and Merly will be appearing at many Singapore 2010 events in the coming months to help create buzz and excitement for the Games.  Lyo and Merly plush toys and other Singapore 2010 merchandise were also available for purchase for the first time on 21 November. The first Singapore 2010 Official Olympic Store opened on 22 November at Takashimaya Square Basement 2.   More info as well as mascot wallpaper and screensaver are available on the official website for Singapore 2010: www.singapore2010.sg.   Singapore 2010 Edited by FITA Communication