Hands up those of you who watch the Asian Youth Games Opening Ceremony on Monday. Ok, there were definitely much better programmes on, but I admit I had to catch the ceremony uncut and live, to see how it fared. Well, after watching for mere minutes, I was flabbergasted at how unprofessional the coverage was. It honestly looked like an amateur stage crew covering a school sports meet, albeit on a bigger budget.

I had nothing much to comment on the performances, granting that the participants were most likely students drafted in to put up a show. But the unprofessionalism of the media coverage tainted the glamour of what could have been a spectacular ceremony. I wouldn’t be surprised if the unedited footage of the programme actually found its way onto the Internet. It just speaks sheer volumes about the lackadaisical effort to provide quality video coverage.

Another valid concern that was highlighted in the papers addressed the early starting times of the soccer matches which prevented the working class from catching them live on the pitch or television. Of course, this does not apply to the majority, judging by the already low turnouts at Singapore’s very own S-League matches. However, it still does contribute to the dismal viewership and low ticket sales at these events.

And as only 7% of the AYG tickets have been sold, students have been roped in to boost the audience turnout at some of these games, with schools given free tickets for distribution. While a handful of students are truly excited at the prospects of attending the matches, the bulk would just be equally elated at having an official excuse to skip lessons.

The success of the Games have been clouded by logistical issues as well as the H1N1 flu virus in the region. Malaysia withdrew their athletes at the last hour, citing fears of the virus outbreak, despite being Singapore’s nearest neighbours, with thousands of citizens crossing the straits both ways every day. The Philippines and Hong Kong football team also missed the competition as they were quarantined for a week after some players were diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus.

Considering the hiccups along the way and factoring in the short 1-year preparation period for the AYG, I would say that the event has been moderately successful so far. While the experience is valuable, Singapore has to leverage on this to iron out the sticky issues, especially as we look on to host the inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010.

As the Games are still ongoing, the verdict on its success is still out. But what is more certain is that the participants are definitely enjoying themselves, the organizers basking in its glory, while the rest of Singapore continue leading their own separate lives.