Athletes attending the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore this August will not just be participating on the field of play but online in The Odyssey.

This unique platform, combining games and social networking, is the very first virtual world based on the Olympic Games and offers young people the opportunity to interact and engage in activities based on the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.

The Odyssey features virtual sports such as swimming, archery and shooting; flash mini-games, and virtual Olympic venues like the Youth Olympic Village.

In addition there are hubs where athletes can showcase their virtual creations and galleries filled with Olympic and sports related educational content.

Athletes and school students from around the world are being encouraged to register, create their own avatar and then either follow a narrative structure or roam freely through the site as they wish.

“It is wonderful to see the organisers of the Youth Olympic Games embracing new and emerging technologies to communicate with young people about the importance of sport and the Olympic values,” Deputy Chef de Mission Fiona de Jong said.

Currently there are more than 16,000 registered users and administrators are expecting that number to explode as the Youth Games draw closer.

Those not so keen on a virtual gaming experience are invited to join another social networking platform called WhyOhGee.

This online community offers athletes and students the opportunity to blog, participate in contests, upload images and read about the latest YOG news.

They can also share with the world a good deed they have done as part of the Million Deeds Challenge. Each deed published brings the virtual Youth Olympic Flame closer to Singapore.

Social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter have also been embraced by the Organising Committee and have established large communities of followers.

Frances Cordaro
AOC