Holiday fun at the Singapore 2010 Friendship Camp

“Hola!” “Bonjour!” “привет!”

You can expect the warm exchange of greetings in a room full of young people from all over the world at the Singapore 2010 Friendship Camp held from 8 to 12 December 2009.

More than 400 athletes from more than 100 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will be there.

Jointly organised by Singapore's Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Sports School (SSS) and the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC), the Friendship Camp wants to give young athletes the chance to experience cultural diversity and have fun while doing it.

Camp participants will be decking themselves out in traditional costumes and treated to a night-long World Festival on the very first day of the camp.

The “East meets West” themed party celebrates the rich diversity of global cultures and arts, and other highlights include a World Beat cum synchronised swimming routine.

Campers can also get a taste of Singaporean culture by sampling local fare served at the international food booths.

The fun does not end there. Over 5-days and 4-nights, campers will be the first to get a sneak preview of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

The Culture and Education Programme (CEP), which plays a major part in the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games next year, will feature in the Friendship Camp.

What's the secret to CEP? Athletes will pick up knowledge and skills that they don't usually learn during physical training. CEP offers athletes a range of interactive workshops covering themes on skills development and well being.

For one, participants can look forward to getting up close and personal with an Olympian when they sign up for the Chat with Champions segment. Top athletes like Michael Klim, Veronica Campbell, Asafa Powell and Dexter Lee will be in the hot seat for any burning questions athletes might have for them.

Another highlight will be the Island Adventure programme which will challenge young athletes to complete team building activities in the Great Outdoors. Expect lots of fun, adventure and screaming cheering.

Campers will also be brought to the cultural hotspots in Singapore with the most authentic and traditional sights, smells and sounds. Try to spot them wandering around Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam.

If these athletes have always been wanting to try another sport, the Sport Exploration Programme gives them the chance to try their hand at Fencing, Bowling, Tchoukball, Archery, Golf, Inline skating and more.

What's better than the exciting line-up? They will have loads of new friends to share the experience with. Now that's a great way to spend the holidays eh?

Development / Accra / Ghana / Africa / Modernghana.com

   Comments0