POSTED ON 8/2/10 | The first-ever Youth Olympic Games—organized by the International Olympic Committee—will get underway here on August 14 and will feature multi-venue playing surfaces provided by Utah-based Connor Sport Court International.
The Federation of Basketball (FIBA) today made the announcement of Sport Court’s selection as their official playing surface for the games.
The Youth Olympics are a version of the regular Olympic Games, with a focus on young people 14-18. The games will continue through August 26 and like the regular Olympic Games, they will be held every 4 years.
Andrew Gettig, Vice President of International Sales for Sport Court, explained that FIBA, the world’s governing body for basketball chose “FIBA 33” for inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG). It is FIBA’s version of 3 on 3 basketball.
“FIBA’s belief is that 3 on 3 basketball is the way most people are introduced to basketball, and they will try to get this variation into the regular Olympic Games by 2020,” Gettig said.
For the inaugural YOG, FIBA and the IOC worked with Sport Court to create a bright court design. They will host the competition outdoors in the middle of downtown Singapore in a venue called “*scape.” “FIBA has approved Sport Court outdoor basketball courts for over 15 years, so they turned to Sport Court for the best outdoor surface for this Olympic competition,” said Ron Cerny, President and CEO of Connor Sport Court International.
Sport Court’s PowerGame™ surface was chosen for the Youth Olympic competition and is manufactured in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is exclusively available through the official network of Sport Court distributors.
Connor Sports Flooring, the company’s division with offices in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and a manufacturing facility in Amasa, Michigan, will also be providing surfaces for other sports at the Youth Olympic Games.
At the Jurong East Indoor Hall, approximately 17,000 square feet of Duracushion II® will be utilized for the Volleyball Training Venue. For the Volleyball Competition, about 9,200 square feet will be utilized Another 25,000 square feet will go into Bishan Indoor Hall for Gymnastics, and about 14,000 square feet will go into the Singapore Sports School for Air Rifle competition.
“Our Duracushion II is a floating sports floor system providing shock absorption. It consists of a vapor barrier, PVC pads, softwood nailers, maple flooring, sanding, sealers, finishes, game lines and wall base,” said Cerny.
“The Olympic Games have evolved greatly since the inception of the IOC in 1894 – the creation of the Winter Olympics, Paralympics, allowing professional athletes, and now the creation of the YOG,” said Cerny.
“IOC President Jacques Rogge believes that youth culture around the world has changed in recent years, and more young people are enamored of television, video, computers and gaming at the expense of sport and Olympic values. Many kids quit sports at the ages of 15-16, and obesity is a universal health challenge. He feels that the YOG can inspire more young people to play and stick with sports, and has created this event to make the Olympics more relevant to today’s young people,” Andrew Gettig added. Gettig said that the number of participating athletes will be approximately one third of that for the regular Olympic competitions.
“There will be the same number of sports, but fewer disciplines and events. The international federations have been asked to make their events even more appealing to young people, and a great emphasis will be made for the athletes to celebrate the Olympic values and the diversity of world cultures, while experiencing the power of the Olympic spirit to unite diverse cultures and peoples,” Gettig said.
Apart from the competitions, there will be workshops on nutrition, healthy life-style, the environment and the fight against drugs in sports. The participants will be encouraged to become ambassadors in their own countries and to convey the key Olympic messages such as no discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or color.
To see a picture of the 3 on 3 court go to:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/langid/1/newsid/42252/arti.html
