The President of the Australian Olympic Committee, John Coates, has declared the 2009 Youth Olympic Festival “our most successful”.

The five-day event wrapped up today in Sydney today with 1500 athletes from 31 countries competing in 17 sports.

“The response from the British, Kiwi’s, USA and the Hungarians is very positive. All of the participants want to come back to Australia” Coates said.

He said it was with great reluctance that the AOC will now stage the AYOF every four years instead of two.

“We just don’t have the money to do this every two years”.

It cost the AOC $4.6m to stage the event this year.

“We started with ten sports in 2001 at a cost of $2.1 million and increased to 17 sports in 09 due to the popularity and prestige of the AYOF throughout the world. But the increased cost of $4.6m is an amount we can’t duplicate in our current four-year budget cycle”.

Coates said the visiting nations were also disappointed with the move because the AYOF provides competition in more team sports than its European equivalent.

Hungary won both the Men’s and Women’s Water Polo gold medals at the AYOF but the event is not included on the program for the European Youth Festival which only caters for two team sports.

The Hungarian National Olympic Committee now wants to formalise a Co-Operation agreement with the AOC with a particular emphasis on Water Polo.

“The British have spoken to Australian Rowing to see if they might conduct a one-off rowing competition in the same format in two years time and I am sure the Kiwi’s would also want to participate in such an event,” Coates said.

Coates was also concerned about Australian athletes missing the opportunity to use the AYOF as a stepping stone to Olympic selection. 76 AYOF athletes won selection in the Australian Olympic Team in Beijing and won 24 medals.

“I wish we could continue the Festival every two years because the four-year cycle is going to miss some athletes vying for Olympic selection.”

Coates said the AYOF generated up to $8m in economic benefits to the NSW economy and called on the NSW Government to provide funding for future festivals.

“We were disappointed we did not meet the Event NSW criteria for funding for the 09 AYOF, not withstanding the Festival generates $8m in economic benefits to the State economy”.

“V8 Supercars is another event which didn’t meet the criteria for event funding but the NSW Government dealt with it separately and is providing $25m funding for the V8’s also located at Sydney Olympic Park”.

“Premier Rees could do worse than provide special funding of the $4.6 million needed to stage the AYOF again in 2011”.

“The Government would be helping the best of our young athletes by providing them with this international competition and further utilisation of the wonderful Sydney Olympic venues at Sydney Olympic Park and throughout Sydney”.

“It also appears to me that the AYOF has generated more publicity both in Australia and worldwide for Sydney over the last week than the Sydney Festival which is largely Government funded” Coates said.

AOC