Representatives of the Rio de Janeiro bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games attended, this Monday, March 29, the opening of the Asian Youth Games, which runs until July 7 in Singapore. President of the Rio 2016 Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, secretary general, Carlos Roberto Osório, and director of international relations, Mario Cilento, are at the event to observe and exchange experiences, particularly as one of the main objectives of the Olympic project in Rio de Janeiro is to expand the reach of Olympic values among young people around the world. On an official trip to Asia, Rio state governor Sérgio Cabral also stopped off at Singapore to visit the Youth Games facilities.

The Asian Youth Games bring together 1,300 athletes of between 14 and 17 years of age, representing 45 countries. Competitions will be held in ten sports - athletics, swimming, diving, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, football, sailing, shooting and table tennis. The event serves as a test for Singapore, which in 2010 will host the first edition of the Youth Olympic Games. "The Rio 2016 Committee could not fail to honor an event this important. Among the objectives of the Asian Youth Games are the celebration of sport in partnership with learning and the dissemination of values such as friendship, excellence and respect. These ideas are aligned with the pillars of Rio de Janeiro’s Olympic project. Brazil has 65 million young people under 18 years old, across South America that number rises to 180 million," noted Carlos Arthur Nuzman.

The integration between sports and education has been a reality for young people in Brazil since 2005 when the School Olympics were created, a partnership between the Ministry of Sports and the Brazilian Olympic Committee. In 2008, around 5,600 athletes participated in competitions in athletics, basketball, futsal, handball, judo, swimming, table tennis, volleyball and chess, as well as an intense cultural program. "The School Olympics are a very successful Brazilian initiative. In the competition, sport is a tool to promote integration and social inclusion. It is an event that has grown bringing together young people from across the country, “explained Nuzman.

Besides attending the opening of the Asian Youth Games, the Rio 2016 delegation will also attend the General Assembly of Olympic Council of Asia, held on July 3, also in Singapore.