Bidding process open for IOC's Youth Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has communicated the bidding process for hosting the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. A letter was sent out to all National Olympic Committees informing them of the information available for the cities interested in bidding for the Games.

THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE has communicated the bidding process for hosting the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2010. A letter was sent out to all National Olympic Committees informing them of the information available for the cities interested in bidding for the Games.
    The letter to the NOCs is accompanied by the Youth Olympic Games brochure — an updated presentation brochure on the Youth Olympic Games — and the Candidature Procedure and Questionnaire. On this basis, the NOCs can have a preliminary feasibility check before they develop a fully-fledged candidature file.
    The milestones in the lead-up to the election for the host city of the first Summer Youth Olympic Games are as follows: 

31 August 2007: NOCs to confirm names of interested cities 
26 October 2007: Cities to submit their candidature file 
12 November 2007: selection of Candidate Cities by an expert panel 
3-18 December 2007: visits by an Evaluation Commission, set up by the IOC, to the short-listed Candidate Cities 
End of January 2008: Evaluation Commission submits its report to the IOC Executive Board 
Mid-February 2008: Postal vote by IOC members  
End of February 2008: Announcement of the first host city of the Summer Youth Olympic Games
   
    The Youth Olympic Games, adopted on July 5 by the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City, are the flagship of the IOC’s strategy regarding young people, which includes other initiatives, such as an educational project on Olympic values, a specific interactive Web site and a campaign highlighting the Olympic values to young people.
    The Youth Olympic Games aim to bring together talented athletes from around the world to participate in high-level competitions; educate young athletes at the Youth Games on the importance of sport for their health and their social integration; and inform them about the dangers linked to sport, such as doping, training to excess and/or inactivity; and communicate through modern communication channels the Olympic values, the spirit and the message of the Youth Olympic Games worldwide.
    The Youth Olympic Games — age group 14 to 18 — will bring together approximately 3,500 athletes and 875 officials for the Summer Games. The sports program comprises all sports on the program of the 2012 Summer Games with a limited number of disciplines and events. Proposals from sports federations to integrate youth-driven disciplines that are not part of the Olympic Games may be accepted.