The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved the sports competitions programme for the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore.
Under the plans around 3,594 athletes will compete in 26 sports comprising 201 events. Each event has its own age group competing: there will be 27 events in the 15-16 age group, 111 events in the 16-17 group, and 63 events in the 17-18 group. The number of sports in the programme is identical to the London 2012 programme.
The four team sport tournaments - football, handball, hockey and volleyball - will consist of one national team per continent, as well as a sixth team which will either represent the NOC of the host country or be proposed by the International Federations for IOC approval. An NOC will be allowed to have no more than one boys' and one girls' team competing for all four team sports. However, an NOC delegation may include no more than 70 athletes in individual sports.
The YOG will also feature an extensive Cultural and Educational Programme which will introduce the young athletes to Olympism and the Olympic values, said the IOC, and to raise awareness on important issues such as the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, the fight against doping, and their role as sports ambassadors in their communities.
Qualification for the Games can be achieved through competitions such as Junior World Championships, Continental Championships or official junior ranking lists.
