The International Olympic Committee is thrilled with the first Youth Olympic Games (YOG) held in Singapore in August but warns there needs to be a “careful” watch on costs of hosting the event.

The Singapore 2010 YOG suffered a cost blow out of several hundred million dollars. And there is a concern other small cities will be excluded from hosting the event in future because of the cost.

“We need to be careful that we don’t spend too much money so we can allow smaller cities to host the YOG,” said IOC member Gunilla Lindberg.

The head of the organising committee for Singapore says the YOG inspired young people around the world and “was an experience, money can’t buy.”

Nanjing in China is the next host of the Summer YOG in 2014. They have a budget of $117m.

The first Winter YOG will be held in Innsbruck, Austria, in January 2012 where the IOC is considering introducing 3-on-3 ice hockey following the success of 3-on-3 basketball in Singapore.

Despite the huge cost Singapore was well worth the money. Sergey Bubka, Chairman of the IOC Athletes Commission, called it “an unbelievable success”.

The IOC members were also impressed by the concept of boys and girls in teams together. This could happen in some sports at the Olympic Games “but it was up to the IOC Executive Board to decide,” said Gilbert Felli the IOC Executive Director.

They were speaking at a newsmaker breakfast organised by Around the Rings at the Association of National Committee’s (ANOC) in Acapulco, Mexico.

Bubka said it was “unpleasant” that two athletes competing in Singapore tested positive.

“We must continue to work hard on anti-doping,” he said. But giant steps have been made in the last ten years.

Mike Tancred in Acapulco
AOC