From Sam Milby to sea dragons: YOG takes SG

MANILA, Philippines - It took a while for the realization to hit me. I traveled 1,486 miles to watch Sam Milby jog and pass a torch to Efren Penaflorida.

Four days of my life had suddenly and unequivocally been planned around 10 minutes of two men jogging and playing pass-the-message with each other. It would’ve been ludicrous had the historic and nationalistic significance of that ten minutes been forgotten.

On Aug. 13, CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida and actor and Samsung main man Sam Milby made history by becoming torchbearers in the first-ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore. As beneficiaries of the Samsung Torchbearer Hospitality Program, Sam, Efren, and other members of the Samsung team represented the country in the Singapore Torch Relay of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame.

The Singapore leg of the relay brought the journey to an end. The flame was first lit in Ancient Olympia in July 23 and traveled to Berlin, Dakar, Mexico, Auckland, Seoul, and eventually the Lion City.

That wasn’t the last I’d see of the flame, of course. At the opening ceremony held the next day at Marina Bay, it was the obvious star. With its “Blazing the Trail” theme, the ceremony proved true to its words. What looked like a sea dragon approached the stage from the sea and brought the final torchbearer to the stage. In a show of blinding lights and sights, the torchbearer lit up the lighthouse at the center of the stage — the final torch.

The Philippines’ nine-athlete delegation was present at the ceremony, of course, more than making up for small numbers with gusto and spirit. Rocking barongs — including a special female version of the barong for the girls — the athletes were certainly not difficult to spot in the crowd.

Jeron Teng, one of four members of our three-on-three basketball team, admits pressure in the face of such a momentous event. But at the end of the day, he believes in the games’ goals. “I believe that this can bring world peace ‘cause lots of countries cooperated for this to happen,” he said. “You also realize that this an opportunity for us athletes to meet athletes from other countries.”

Michael Pate (Basketball), Chris Tolomia (Basketball), Bobby Parks Jr. (Basketball), Jasmine Alkhaldi (Swimming), Jessie Lacuna (Swimming), Kirk Barnosa (Taekwondo), Jeson Patrombon (Tennis), and Patricia Llena (Wrestler) round out the Philippine team.

The nine athletes have hundreds of medals and awards between them. And in the excitement of the YOG, it’s easy to forget that these kids are just that, kids. On top of school, prom, college entrance exams, and other sources of adolescent stress acne, they have international-level competition to contend with.

Mark Joseph, Chef De Mission for the Philippines and a champion athlete in his own right, takes great pride in the Philippine delegation. “Whatever happens, there are no losers here. Everyone here is a champion,” he said.

Samsung, a sponsor since the 1988 Olympics, makes it easier for the athletes to become champions. The Samsung Digital Concierge is a reel-time service that provides “everything about being an Olympian this year,” according to Mark, from results to cultural activities they can partake in.

The Concierge also makes it easier for the athletes to navigate the Olympic village they’re housed in. A gated community for the young and uber-athletic, the village has everything from a 7-Eleven to a massage service to a barbershop are open at their convenience.

By living in the village, it’s hoped that camaraderie will be fostered among the athletes. “Friendship, excellence, respect among nations are easier to cultivate at 18 instead of 28,” Mark said.

“I think the YOG will bring about world peace,” a young girl said in an AVP. In a world full of uncertainty, the statement comes off a little naive. But in a stadium full of the world’s citizens, with the world’s largest floating stage in front of us, it seemed not only possible, but only right.